Russ Rose Then (2004): “Kate is a player who I’m very optimistic about contributing immediately because she is coming off a championship high school season and her club team played well at Nationals.  I know she brings a number of postitive intangibles to the court because she is a taller, experienced, go-to player.  We can count on the fact that Kate knows what an outside hitter needs to do, has a variety of shots, and isn’t afraid to take a big swing.”

Russ Rose Now (2025):

2004 Season: AVCA Honorable Mention All-Mideast Region … Big Ten Freshman of the Year … Big Ten All-Freshman Team … Stanford Invitational Most Valuable Player … Penn State Invitational All-Tournament Team … played in all 32 matches and 108 of 109 games … led the team with 3.93 kills per game and also averaged 2.01 digs per game and 0.44 blocks per game … was the only non-junior or senior to rank among the top 10 in the Big Ten in kills per game (3.94) and ranked fifth in the league in conference-only matches with 4.07 kpg … recorded a career-high 28 kills in the five-game win over eventual National Champion Stanford on the road, two days after her 18th birthday … surpassed her previous career high of 10 kills in the first game alone against the Cardinal … had six double-doubles for the season, including a career-high 18 digs versus then-No. 1 Minnesota (10/2) … posted double-digit kill figures in 26 matches, including 25 of the last 28 contests … recorded at least six kills in every match of the season … notched at least one dig in every match of the year, including seven double-digit dig matches … set a new career high with four blocks in the NCAA Tournament loss to UCLA (12/10) … equaled her previous career-high of three blocks on four occasions, including three times in the last six matches (vs. Illinois, 11/20; at Michigan State, 11/26; vs. American, 12/3) … ranked second on the team with 25 aces, including a career-high five at Iowa (12/6).

Before Penn State: Four-year volleyball letterwinner at Fraser High School in Fraser, Mich. … team captain in 2003 for the Ramblers … led Fraser to the Michigan state title in 2002 and 2003 … a three-time first team all-state selection … earned honorable mention all-state following freshman year … also won the state championship in the high jump … was a three-year track letterwinner and a three-year basketball letterwinner … named a Volleyball Magazine ‘Fab 50’ selection in 2003.