Kathryn Settle enters her second season as head coach of the Lander volleyball program in 2026.
In her first season at the helm, Settle guided the Bearcats to a 20-11 overall record and a 10-5 mark in Peach Belt Conference play. Lander advanced to the PBC Tournament championship match for just the third time in program history and earned the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Southeast Regional.
The Bearcats also collected numerous individual accolades during Settle’s first season as head coach, highlighted by Katie Miller becoming the first All-American in program history. Miller earned D2CCA Third Team All-America and AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors after being named the PBC Player of the Year. She was also selected to the AVCA and D2CCA All-Southeast Region First Teams.
Under Settle’s leadership, Lander produced two All-PBC selections and two PBC All-Tournament Team selections during the 2025 season. Katie Miller earned PBC Player of the Week honors six times, while the Bearcats also collected four PBC Specialist of the Week honors.
The program also continued to excel academically, with four Bearcats earning CSC Academic All-District honors and seven being named to the PBC Team of Academic Distinction. Lander was also recognized with the AVCA Team Academic Award for the second consecutive year.Â
Settle was named Lander volleyball’s head coach in 2025 after serving as an assistant coach for the Bearcats since January 2021, where she played a pivotal role in the program’s success.
During her time as an assistant, Settle helped lead Lander to an 87-47 overall record and a 34-25 mark in Peach Belt Conference play. Her tenure included helping guide the Bearcats to the 2024 PBC regular-season championship, the first in program history, as well as an appearance in the 2023 PBC Tournament championship match, Lander’s first since 2007.
Settle also helped coach Lander to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2022-24. The Bearcats advanced to the regional semifinals in 2022 and 2023 before reaching the Southeast Regional championship match for the first time in program history in 2024.
Throughout her time at Lander, Settle has helped develop numerous All-Conference and All-Region performers while contributing to one of the most successful stretches in Lander volleyball history. Her leadership, strategic approach and commitment to player development have helped establish the Bearcats as a consistent contender in the Peach Belt Conference and Southeast Region.
In 2023, Settle received the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s 30 Under 30 Award, recognizing her as one of the top up-and-coming collegiate coaches in the nation.
