One of the most decorated athletes in UMD volleyball history, Kate (Lange) Sterns returned to her alma mater in 2015, this time as an assistant coach.
Before landing back on the Bulldog bench, Sterns made a brief appearance in the pro circuit playing overseas for one season with the Terville Florange Olympic Club, which is a member of France’s top pro league. She racked up 166 kills on 471 attacks with 225 digs in 66 sets (2.83 points per set) in 22 matches in her lone season making her the only Bulldog to ever sign a pro contract and play professionally.
Sterns was a four-year starter as an outside attacker at UMD, which made an appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament all four of those seasons. Her prolific career concluded in 2013 with both American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and Daktronics Division National Player of the Year honors. A three-time AVCA All-American selection and four-year All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honoree, Sterns did a number on the Bulldog record books, placing herself atop the charts in kills (2,078) and attacks (4,058) and positioned herself in a club of her own for her all-around versatility, attaining the plateau of 2,000 kills, 1,000 digs, 100 solo blocks and 100 service aces.
A native of Hibbing, Minnesota, Sterns earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from UMD in 2014. She also holds a Master’s degree in education (2020). She resides in Superior, Wisconsin with her husband, Mike, and their two dogs, Bruce and Mizuno.Â
