Katie Payne '18 is in her second season as an assistant coach for the St. Olaf volleyball program in 2020-21 and also works as an admissions officer on campus.
In her first season on the coaching staff, St. Olaf made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2010 and finished the season with a 26-6 record, with the 26 wins being the most for the program since 2010.
The Oles also earned their first national ranking from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) since 2011, checking in at No. 23 on two occasions during the season, and played in the championship match of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.
Payne, who also coached at Vital Volleyball Club during the 2019-20 season, played three years for the Oles after suffering a season-ending back injury to begin her career. She concluded her career as a co-captain of the 2017 team that advanced to the semifinals of the MIACÂ Playoffs.
Payne graduated from St. Olaf with a Bachelor of Arts in economics with an emphasis in finance. She spent her first year out of college as a business analyst at Optum and as an assistant coach for the Edina Volleyball Association.
