“It's another special day for the Minnesota volleyball program,” the head coach said. Keegan Cook. ”Kate Thibault He is an enthusiastic and athletic competitor who brings immediate depth and experience to a position group that we have been rebuilding over the past 18 months. Kate returns to his hometown of Minnesota after a highly successful season and gaining significant competitive experience in a high-performance program. For all the time she spent with her previous coaching staff, there is no question that she is a better student-athlete. We are excited about the opportunity to continue her growth here in Minnesota. Go Gophers! ”
As a rookie, she played in 19 games for an Oregon team that finished 29-6 (16-4 in the Pac-12) and made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 1.34 digs, 0.31 aces, and 0.08 assists per set in 2023. Thibault had two games of 10 or more digs and established four or more digs eight times. She had at least one ace in 10 games, including seven that had multiple aces.
“I’m so happy to be a Gopher,” Thibault said. “Being from Minnesota, it was a dream of mine to play in my home state. I'm most excited to be back in front of my home crowd and most importantly, my family. Without them, I… I'm so grateful for this opportunity to come home and finish my career! ”
In high school, she was one of five finalists for the 2022 Ms. Burden Award, given annually to the top senior athlete in Minnesota. A two-time all-state Class 2A performer at her Watertown-Mayer High School, she finished her prep career with nearly 2,300 digs, breaking her state dig record as a senior.
Thibault averaged 5.59 digs per set during the 2022 campaign and finished the year with 458 total digs, a top-15 record in the state. She scored 10 or more goals in 26 of 28 games, and in four of those games she scored at least 25 goals. Thibault also led the team with 57 aces.
The sophomore is the daughter of Chris and Rachel Thibault. She has two siblings named Drew and Paige. Paige currently plays college volleyball at Auburn University. Her mother Rachel played at the University of Denver and her father Chris played amateur beach volleyball. She plans to major in sports management at the University of Minnesota.
In 2023, the 'U' went 17-13 (12-8 Big Ten) and advanced to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. The Gophers won an NCAA Tournament game for his ninth straight season and finished fifth in the conference standings in his first year.under the head coach Keegan Cook.