Kate Morrell, a former professional volleyball player with nine years of coaching experience, was named an associate head coach for UCF prior to the 2025 season.
During her first campaign in Orlando, Morrell was instrumental in the Knights' success under first-year head coach Matt Botsford. The team increased its win total by eight (9 to 17), secured four more Big 12 wins, and boasted the fourth-highest year-over-year RPI growth (+141) in the nation, finishing the season 63rd in the nation after being 204th a season ago.
Morrell led the charge in a UCF attack that ranked sixth in the Big 12 with 13.39 kills per set and seventh with a 0.239 hitting percentage, both massive improvements from 2024. Under the direction of Morrell and Botsford, junior Avah Armour became the program's ninth AVCA All-American in program history and first All-Big 12 First Team honoree.
Morrell joined the Knights after completing a five-year standout run as FGCU’s associate head coach alongside Botsford. Together, the duo produced 120 program wins with four NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2023, Morrell contributed to the team’s 26-7 record with a 15-1 conference mark. She also helped the Eagles clinch both the regular season and conference titles, allowing the squad to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history.
Her tenure with Botsford at FGCU led the Eagles to several historical milestones, including an exceptional 2021 season where they tied a program record for wins with 27, captured the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round for the first time in program history, where they faced eventual national champion Wisconsin.
Prior to FGCU, Morrell served as an assistant coach for three years at Mercer University where she worked with both the beach and indoor programs. There, she held coaching responsibilities for the beach program while also training and recruiting indoor players. In her time recruiting, two of Morrell’s players earned Southern Conference all-freshman team honors in 2018 eventually both earning a spot on the 2019 Southern Conference all-tournament team.
Morrell initially got her coaching start in June 2016 at Texas One Volleyball where she held the title of Master Coach until May 2017.
Before becoming a coach, Morrell played as an outside hitter at UAB after a one-year stint at Hutchinson Community College. In her time at UAB, she was a member of both the school's indoor and beach programs, a three-year letterwinner, and in 2012-13 was named team captain and then named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. Morrell followed up her collegiate career with a successful professional career that allowed her to compete in places such as the Philippines, Switzerland and the Netherlands.