Kate is a sophomore from Watertown, Minn. and a transfer from Oregon
A sophomore libero/defensive specialist, Kate Thibault transferred to Minnesota after spending her freshman year at Oregon. As a rookie, she played in 19 matches for the Ducks on a team that finished 29-6 (16-4 Pac-12) and made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 1.34 digs, 0.31 aces and 0.08 assists per set in 2023. Thibault recorded two 10+ dig matches and established four-or-more digs eight times. She had at least one ace in 10 matches, including seven matches with multiple aces.
GS: Can you remember the first time you started playing volleyball? KT: I was seven years old and I played for my mom. My sister Paige and I played on the same team and the club was ran by my mom. My dad coached me later on, actually my 14's year when I played with (current Gophers) Sydney Schnichels and Olivia and Stella Swenson.
GS: So your family is obviously huge into volleyball KT: Very. My mom played in college at Denver and my dad played amateur volleyball. My aunt played at USF and my uncle played at Ohio State. My cousin is going to Army to play and my grandpa played as well. He's really the root of our family's love for the sport. Then obviously my sister Paige now plays at Auburn. There was no way I was going to specialize in another sport, although I was a gymnast in my younger days until I was about 14.
Kate and her parents on her visit to MinnesotaGS: Talk about your relationship with your family, you all seem like you're so close. KT: Definitely, my sister Paige has been my best friend since the day I was born. When I was really young, I was home schooled until sixth grade. So during that time, me and Paige did everything together all the time. We had every living second together. When we played on the same volleyball teams, we knew each other inside and out and that helped us build trust on the floor. We talk basically every day still and I'm hoping she moves back to Minnesota after college so she can be around for the last two years of my career at Minnesota. I also have an older brother, Drew, and he's 25. We weren't as close when we were younger because of the age gap but we're much closer now. He's one of my best friends too. My grandparents also live with my family. We have a split-level house, where my immediate family lives on the top level and they live on the bottom. It was kind of like two houses in one, but I loved it because our whole family was all together all the time. It's a big reason why coming to Minnesota was so big for me, I am so close with my family. They're planning on coming to every single home game.
GS: How old were you when you knew you wanted to play in college? KT: My mom had always talked about it with me and my sister, we just didn't know what level it was going to be at. I was playing for Select, and when I was 13 and playing with 14 year olds. I remember seeing college coaches at games and thinking "wow, I'm going to have a chance to play at a high level." It was really exciting because I knew I had a chance to take this somewhere.
GS: You started getting recruited and hearing from schools in your late middle and early high school days. What was your recruiting and commitment process like? KT: I mostly got questionnaires from schools to fill out before June 15 leading into my junior year, so I couldn't talk to coaches before then. I remember at 12:01 a.m. on June 15, though, my first email was from Oregon, which is obviously where I ended up deciding to go. It was a cool place to visit, I liked the facilities and it was a good volleyball school. That's what really put them in front for me.
Kate, her mom and older sister Paige at a club tournament growing upGS: You had one year there, including last summer and then the fall and spring. Why did you decide a change of scenery was needed? KT: I mentioned this before, but I'm very much a homebody and my family and I are so close. Minnesota had always been my dream school, but it hadn't worked out in the past because of other players that were committed here when I was making my college decision. Obviously, when I left, I didn't know that I'd have the chance to come be a Gopher, but I'm so glad it worked out like it did. There are a lot of great people at Oregon, it just wasn't the right fit for me.
GS: What was going through your mind when you first heard from Minnesota after entering the portal? KT: I was so stoked. It all went so quickly. I remember hearing from Keegan and then talking to Stella after that as she's one of my best friends from way back. We set up a visit and I came a few days after, committed on a Friday and then signed on Tuesday. The next Sunday after that, I was leaving for the foreign trip to Europe so I could join the team. It was absolutely a crazy time but I wouldn't change any of it. It was such a whirlwind looking back at it.
GS: What does it mean to you know that you're officially a Golden Gopher? KT: I told [associate head coach] Kristen [Kelsay] on our first phone call, 'you don't know how much this means to me, Minnesota is literally my dream school.' If this was little kid Kate looking at me now, she'd be screaming. I grew up watching the team and coming to games at the Pav all the time. I just never thought I'd actually be here. After I had my call with this staff, I was so sold. It was really the only place I wanted to be.
GS: Let's talk a little about the foreign trip. It was really the first time you got to meet the team, coaches and support staff. What was going through your mind before the tour? How did you feel after? KT: I honestly felt a little overwhelmed. I moved all my stuff home, I hadn't met many of the people I was going to be traveling with and all of a sudden we're going to foreign countries for 12 days. My sister was in a similar situation last year at Auburn, but didn't go because she thought it was too quick. She regretted it and I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity. I traveled with Kristen that first day, and it was a bonding experience to be with her the whole time. I felt really comfortable and she made it so smooth. That's how I knew everything else was going to be fine. The next thing was meeting the team, I only knew three of the girls. The first night, I was absolutely exhausted. Sydney [Schnichels] was my roommate, and she came bursting into the room when I was sleeping and just yelled, she was so excited. I was up after that. The next morning I saw all of you guys and I started sitting with other people, just hanging out and having conversations. Some of the older girls made it clear to me that they wanted to come talk to me. Elise [McGhie], Melani [Shaffmaster] and Phoebe [Awoleye] all went out of their way to come talk to me and that really meant a lot. I felt really comfortable. On the boat ride in Turkey, Julia [Hanson] sat next to me and we just talked about life for like an hour and a half. The trip just helped us bond and it makes me so excited for what's to come. It made me feel like there wasn't one person on the team I couldn't go talk to. I had never been out of the country before, so that was just so amazing. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was the best way for me to start building those relationships with my team.
Kate played for Minnesota Select as a kidGS: Going back to your time heading to Gopher games when you were little, were there any former Gophers you looked up to? KT: Definitely Dalianliz Rosado (2014-17 libero). I remember always being like 'I want to be her.' She was so amazing with how she played on the court. When I started playing club with Stella and Olivia, I remember just thinking about how cool Samantha [Seliger-Swenson] was. Seeing those girls on the court in that environment, the Pav was electric. It sounds corny, but my dream was playing in the Pav and having everyone watch me. Over and over again I'd imagine myself doing that. I would run through a wall to play on this team.
GS: Your first match at the Pav is going to be on September 10 against St. Thomas. How is it going to feel looking up into the crowd and seeing your family and friends there cheering you on? KT: Honestly, I don't know how I'm going to handle it. The crowd is going to be packed. At the same time, I thrive when the crowds are full and the environment is packed. One of my friends told me that as soon as our schedule came out, she put every single match on her calendar so she can come watch. Being from a smaller town, I feel like I'm also playing for the younger generation of volleyball and giving kids hope. Them seeing me play, I can be a role model to them. I know I looked up to the Gopher players when I was a little kid. It's going to be so special playing in the Pav on this stage. How could I not want to play somewhere with a fan base that loves volleyball as much as I do.
GS: Now you'll be competing in the Big Ten, which teams are you most excited to play against? KT: Oregon, Wisconsin and Nebraska. I'm excited to be a part of the rivalries and the biggest games. I feel like I've always been someone who can be relied on, especially in the biggest games. I can't wait to prove that in my Minnesota career. I know I can handle the pressure. Outside of the Big Ten, I can't wait to play Auburn because I get to play against my sister. We haven't played with or against each other in a very long time, so this will be the last time we'll be able to do this since she'll be a senior. The whole city of Watertown will be at that one.
GS: For those who haven't seen you play before, what kind of player are you on the court? KT: My goal is to be that player that digs everything. I love when someone crushes a ball straight down and I flash over there to keep it up. I also love being the biggest cheerleader ever for my teammates. I bring constant energy and celebrate all the team's accomplishments, that's just who I am. I'm so excited to hype everyone up and make sure we're in good spirits.
Kate celebrating a point during her career at Watertown Mayer H.S.Kate and Paige Thibault won multiple state titles together in high schoolGS: In terms of goals for the season, what do you want to achieve for both yourself and the team? KT: My goal is to play as much as possible and push the players at my position. I want to make the people around me better all the time and build trust with everyone. For the team, I want us to be so successful and compete at the top of the Big Ten. We need to keep building the relationships on and off the court so we can achieve our goals.
GS: When you're not playing volleyball, what do you like to do? KT: I'm a huge pickle ball player. I started really playing last summer. Ever since then, I'm always trying to get people to go play. In volleyball, I can't score besides aces, so I love being up at the net and crushing balls to the other side. I also love to be outside with friends and be out on the lake. I have a paddle board that I use all the time in the summer too. I like playing spike ball, golfing and frolfing.
Rapid Fire:
Favorite Food: Sushi or Tuna Pokebowls
Fun Fact: I was home schooled for 10 years
Hidden Talent: I can do a standing backflip
Favorite Sport to Watch: Tennis, Baseball and Hockey
Favorite Pro Sports Teams: Minnesota Wild
Favorite Vacation Spot: Key West, Florida
TV Shows: The Office, Bridgerton and Brooklyn 99
Biggest Inspirations: My sister Paige
