CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois University director of athletics Barbara Burke has announced the hiring of Kate Price as the interim head volleyball coach, becoming the 10th head coach in EIU volleyball history. 

Price has been promoted following a one-year stint as a Panther assistant under former skipper Alan Segal, who resigned this past January to pursue other career opportunities. Under her assistantship this past fall, Eastern more than doubled the previous season's win total. 

A former senior player on the 2007 NCAA National Championship squad at Penn State, Price becomes one of the youngest volleyball coaches to currently run an NCAA Division I squad. 

“I am very excited to take over leadership of this team,” said Price. “We have been working hard this off-season with one thing on our mind -- getting this program up to the level and potential that we believe we should be at here at EIU. We have set the bar high for next year and are putting in the work for it now.”

Prior to arriving in Charleston in 2009, the Michigan native worked as an assistant at Centenary College for coach Dan Gwitt during the 2008 season.

“I would like to thank Barbara Burke, Mark Bonnstetter, and the administration for this opportunity, and supporting my vision for the future of this program,” Price said.

“I am happy for this opportunity for Kate (Price) to take over as the head coach of the Eastern Illinois volleyball program,” said Burke. “Kate is an up-and-coming head coach who worked tirelessly as an assistant coach with the Panther program last season. I am confident that Kate and her staff will continue to build upon that success and move EIU volleyball in a positive direction.” 

In her four seasons at Penn State, Price competed in a variety of positions, which included playing on the right side attack, as defensive specialist and some libero work. Some of her career awards earned were AVCA Honorable Mention All-Mideast Region, Big Ten 'Freshman of the Year', Stanford Invitational 'Most Valuable Player', Penn State Invitational All-Tournament Team, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.

Not only did Penn State win the 2007 National Championship, the first of three consecutive titles, but the Nittany Lions also captured the Big Ten championship all four years that she was a member of the squad. Price completed her PSU career by playing in 426 of 456 total games, while tallying 755 kills, 80 service aces and 866 all-time digs. As a freshman, her 424 kill numbers led all Lions that season.

Price describes her coaching style as “being very emotionally involved, while always giving immediate feedback to the players.” Plus she loves being able to teach by example as she enjoys the opportunity to play against the squad on a day-to-day basis.

As Segal's assistant, Price did a little bit of everything in assisting the EIU program last fall. Her duties included running the Panther summer volleyball camp, assisting the recruitment of new players, scheduling the day-to-day practice regimen, running the film exchange and film breakdown computer system, while also working primarily with the EIU passers, outside hitters, and defensive units.

“I have been blessed to be surrounded by so many people who love and hold a very high IQ of the game,” Price said. “Of course Coach (Penn State's Russ Rose) is one of my mentors. He was, and still is, a very big part of my career, and life.”

Price continued, saying “Coach Rose has rubbed off on me in more ways than I had previously thought, as I often find myself repeatedly saying things that Coach had previously said to me, or my teammates, while at PSU. I have a lot of people that I would call a mentor, with many of them from the Penn State family. Which explains why my experience at PSU was a great one, and is definitely the type of experience that I'd like to give to the girls here at Eastern.”

She also credits her sisters for having a big influence on her career, “because they are two of my biggest mentors, both in life and in coaching, as they coached me throughout my entire club experience and have been a huge part of the successes in my life. I truly value their knowledge of the game.”

At 23-years of age, Price hasn't paid much attention to the fact that she has now become one of the youngest Division I head coaches in the nation.

“I know the game,” she said. “I think I first started playing volleyball at about the same time that I learned how to spell, so it has become second nature to me. Having played in every position, most of which occurred at the collegiate level, I think it goes without saying that I have a decent volleyball IQ.”

Her volleyball credentials began as a four-year prep standout at Fraser High School in Fraser, Mich., where Price helped lead the Ramblers to consecutive Michigan state titles in 2002 and 2003. Besides being voted team captain, she was also awarded first team all-state honors while also being named to Volleyball Magazine's 'Fab 50' squad. Besides the sport of volleyball, she also earned varsity letters in track and basketball, winning all-state championship honors as a high jumper.

“I am very excited for this opportunity,” Price said. “I plan to hit the ground running, because the sky is the limit for the Panther volleyball program.”

A national search for a new assistant to support coach Price is currently under way. 

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID