Russ Rose Then (1998): Katie has the tools to be an All-American. She’s an incredible attacker and I think it’s confidence and just an awareness of what it takes to be successful at this level. She’s been successful at every level up to this point in her career, and it’s just taking her time to really understand the commitment that it takes to be a great player at the collegiate level. You have to be physically committed, you have to be mentally strong and ready to do what you want to do all of the time. I think in Katie’s case, if she can put it all together, then she has the potential to have a great college career. But so much of it rests on Katie’s shoulders and not on what the coaches think or feel. I know that when I recruited Katie, I thought she would be able to contribute last year [1997]. There were times in the final match of the [1997 season — versus Stanford in the National Championship match] that maybe we could have used a left side hitter that had no conscience. But I think that it’s going to take some time, and she has to learn when to go for the home run and when to be a smart hitter. And those are the things that players develop through experience, and I think that she’ll develop those things and I truly feel she’ll become a person that everybody will have to keep an eye on because she brings the heat. I know Katie is going to have a bright future, but Katie is still a young person that’s going to have to decide when that time is going to be.
Russ Rose Now (2025): Katie had a very large competitive streak. And she had a great, great arm. She came from an athletic family — her dad played football at Michigan and her brother played football at Illinois. She was a multi-sport athlete in high school, and probably was more decorated as a basketball player than as a volleyball player. She and Nadia Edwards redshirted in 1997, but the team played against them every day and they made the starters significantly better. And she made great contributions, obviously, in 1999. Katie was never fearful of competition. When I look at what she was like when she was young, and what she is like now, that remains a constant — that she’s not fearful, that she’s competitive, that she’s willing to get in there and get after it.
Before Penn State: A four-year starter in both volleyball and basketball at Mother McAuley High School; captained both squads her senior year; member of the USA Volleyball Youth National Team in 1996 and 1997; Chicago Sun-Times Female Athlete of the Year; four-time Alll-Area and All-Conference selection; led the Mother McAuley Mighty Macs to the state tourney all four years, winning two titles; team was No. 1 in the nation in 1996 and No. 6 in 1997; Daily Southtown 1997 Player of the Year; two-time Chicago Sun-Times and Tribune All Area Pick; Champaign Gazette Athlete-of-the-Year; twice named All-State; four time All-Conference pick in basketball; led team to three state playoff appearances, finishing as high as second; second team All-State and Sun-Times All-Area in 1997; Star 1997 Player of the year for volleyball and basketball.
