Kate Gammer

The Liberty Women’s Volleyball team plays against MTSU in the Liberty Arena on October 18th, 2024. (Photo by Brooke McDuffee)

The Liberty University Women’s Volleyball team takes on the University of Virginia Cavaliers in the Liberty Arena on September 13, 2024. (Photo by: Matt Reynolds)

Class:
Sophomore
Height:
6-0
Hometown:
Encinitas, Calif.
Position:
OH
Previous School:
Santa Fe Christian School

2023 (Jr.)

CSC Academic All-District III
Conference USA All-Conference 2^nd Team
CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
Started all 29 matches, competing in 101 sets
Recorded 305 kills (3.02 kps), 28 assists, 21 aces, 22a digs (2^nd on team) and 33 blocks (one solo, 32 assisted)
For the third straight season, finished second on the team in kills per set
Totaled six double-doubles, 16 10-kill matches, seven 10-dig contests, two 20-kill matches and one 20-dig match
Scored 15 or more kills nine times, including in three matches in a row, Oct. 28 through Nov. 2
Ranked seventh in Conference USA with 3.02 kills per set overall and fifth with 3.31 kills per set in conference play
Posted first 20-20 double-double by a Lady Flame since Nov. 12, 2011 (Lillie Happel at UNC Asheville), registering 20 kills and 20 digs in 3-2 win at No. 23 Hawai’i (Sept. 7)
Sent down 19 kills at Old Dominion (Sept. 19), the first of seven straight double-digit kill matches
Hit .412 with 16 kills at Middle Tennessee (Sept. 30), adding 13 digs
Registered back-to-back double-doubles against New Mexico State (Oct. 7-8), with 12 kills and 17 digs on Saturday and 12 kills and 12 digs, Sunday
Tied career high with 20 kills while also serving up three aces, Oct. 27 at Sam Houston
Contributed back-to-back double-doubles (18 kills, 17 digs – Oct. 28 at Sam Houston; 16 kills, 15 digs – Nov. 2 versus Louisiana Tech)
Finished campaign with 12 kills in Conference USA quarterfinal versus UTEP

2022 (So.)

CSC Academic All-District III
ASUN Player of the Week (Sept. 26)
ASUN Presidential Honor Roll
Competed in 119 sets, starting 31 out of her 32 matches played
Totaled 352 kills (2.96) kills per set at a .217 pace, adding 19 aces, 313 digs and 48 blocks
For the second year in row, finished second on the team in kills per set
Totaled 12 double-doubles, 19 10-kill matches, 17 10-dig contests and one 20-dig match
Posted first double-double of the season with 12 kills and a career-high 21 digs against Winthrop (Sept. 2), with her 21 digs being the most by a Liberty outside hitter in a single match since Gabrielle Vess’ 22 digs against Elon on Sept. 2, 2017
Scored 15 kills at a .333 pace and added 14 digs and three blocks in a five-set win at UC San Diego, Sept. 9
Hit .500 with 18 kills in Liberty’s ASUN opener against Queens, becoming the first Lady Flame since Casey Goodwin, Nov. 12, 2019 against Stetson, with 18 kills in a three-set match
Scored 12 kills at a .458 pace, Sept. 25 versus Queens, also collecting 19 digs
Connected for a .500 hitting percentage at Bellarmine (Oct. 7), her first of three straight matches with exactly 14 kills in each
Contributed a season-high 19 kills to go along with 17 digs at North Alabama (Nov. 4)
Totaled 17 kills and 10 digs in ASUN semifinal win at Lipscomb
Finished season with 16 kills and 10 digs in NIVC first round match against Western Carolina

2021 Fall (Fr.)

ASUN All-Freshman Team
ASUN Freshman of the Week (Sept. 27)
Named to ASUN Honor Roll
Competed in 54 sets, starting 13 out of her 14 matches played
Second on the team in kills per set (2.57) and digs per set (2.44), posted 139 kills, seven aces, 132 digs and 22 blocks
Ranked second in the ASUN among true freshmen with 2.57 kills per set
Posted 17 kills and 14 digs in ASUN opener against Bellarmine (Sept. 24), becoming the first Lady Flame since 2010 (Lillie Happel) to record a double-double in her first career match
Her 17 kills against Bellarmine were the most by a Liberty player in her first career contest in the rally-scoring era
Recorded 12 kills in back-to-back matches against Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 25) and Lipscomb (Sept. 26) to wrap up her first weekend of play
Totaled career highs in kills (20) and digs (17) at Stetson (Oct. 8), becoming the first Liberty freshman since Leah Clayton in 2016 with a 20-kill match
Hit .526 with 11 kills against Central Arkansas (Oct. 22)
Contributed 18 kills and a career-high-tying 17 digs in her final match of the season, Nov. 7 against Stetson

Prep

Graduated from Santa Fe Christian School
2020 Under Armour All-America Watch List
Helped team to two CIF Division I championships
Named to AVCA Phenom List as a sophomore
2019 second team All-CIF selection
Totaled 563 kills during her first three years of high school
Two-year team captain
Also competed in track & field
Member of National Honor Society

Personal

Daughter of Paul and Jennifer Phillips
Married Liberty hockey player Brett Gammer in the summer of 2024
Her older sister, Abby Phillips, also competed in volleyball and track and field at Liberty before transferring to Dallas Baptist
Brother, Caleb, played for Stanford’s football team from 2018-20 before transferring to Hawai’i; now plays professionally in Japan
Uncle, Stephen Phillips, played soccer at Liberty from 1985-87
Majoring in business marketing, with the goal of earning either a sales position, event planning or project marketing for a company
Birthday is April 11

Student-Athlete Q&A
What made Liberty University the right place for you to attend college/compete at the collegiate level?
I love the culture and the like-minded believers that surround me. I love my team and coaches, the facilities, and the beautiful east coast.

Is there anything special you do pregame or postgame and why?
I am not very superstitious, so it always looks a little different.

Who in your life inspires you and why are they such an inspiration?
My dad is the most inspirational person in my life by a mile. He lives with joy, without complaining, working hard to provide, he listens well, loves deep, and invests in others. What I would do to be half the friend, spouse, and parent that he is one day.

What is your most memorable athletic moment/accomplishment?
WHEN WE BEAT HAWAII!!!!

Do you have any relatives who are playing or have played college or professional sports? (Names, relation to you, what/where they played)?
My brother played football at Stanford and Hawaii and is now playing professional football in Japan! My sister played volleyball here at Liberty and at Dallas Baptist University. Now she works for the Cardinals pro football team in sales. My cousin got drafted out of high school to play for the Braves and was recently traded to play for the Mariners.

Favorite meal (breakfast/lunch/dinner) and what is that special meal?
BREAKFAST all the way.

What is the first app you check on your phone each day?
I check my messages in the morning.

What is your favorite hobby outside of athletics?
I love pickleball, hiking, and playing games with friends.

Who was your favorite athlete growing up?
My siblings were my favorite athletes growing up.

What is your favorite possession and why?
I love my coffee machine that I got for my wedding more than anything.

What is your Go-To karaoke song?
Shallows

What is your dream vacation spot and why?
ITALY!!! I’ve been dreaming of Europe for maybe my whole life.