Kate Witte (2022) - Hall of Fame

Kate Witte

Induction:
2022
Class:
1982

During the early years of the UNI volleyball program, Kate Witte helped set the standard of excellence for the Panther program. From 1978 through her senior season in 1981, Witte helped lead the Panthers to 115 wins under head coaches Carol Gruber and Iradge Ahrabi-Fard. The 1981 Midwest Region AIAW all-American graduated from UNI in 1982 following one of the team's most successful seasons as the Panthers amassed a 40-8-3 record, the winningest season in program history.

Witte was named the head women's volleyball coach at Ohio Northern University in 1991, a role she would excel in until her retirement following the 2019 season. While at ONU, Witte built the Polar Bears into one of the most successful programs in Division III with a career record of 742-241 (.756 win percentage), winning 19 Ohio Athletic Conference regular season titles, 15 conference tournament championships, and qualifying for 23 NCAA Division III tournaments. Witte's Polar Bears would reach the Sweet Sixteen 12 times in her career, while making the Elite Eight four times, and the Final Four once. She was named OAC Coach of the Year seven times during her 29-year career, and earned seven AVCA Regional Coach of the Year honors. Witte also spent 16 years of her time at ONU as the department's senior women's administrator and was a professor of health education.