SACRAMENTO -- After a stellar playing career in a Sacramento State uniform, Kate Doorn will remain at her alma mater as assistant volleyball coach.

She will join head coach Ruben Volta and assistants John Fluette and Sarah Chlebana on the Hornet sidelines. All four coaches on the staff played for, and graduated from Sacramento State.

Doorn recently completed her playing career as she was the Hornets' starting setter each of the last three seasons (2023-25). In fact, during the fall, she was named the Big Sky Conference Setter of the Year, first team all-conference, and team tri-captain for a Hornet squad that went 20-10 overall and 12-4 in league.

"Kate represents everything we want our program to be about," Volta said. "She had an outstanding career as a Hornet, understands our culture, and earned the respect of everyone in the gym through her work ethic, leadership and competitiveness. We're excited to have someone with her passion for Sacramento State helping mentor the next generation of Hornets."

Doorn has three years of coaching experience with stops at two different clubs as assistant coach. That includes three years at Sacramento Performance Volleyball Club (SPVC) from 2023-26. In addition, she spent the summers of 2024 and 2025 coaching for North Pacific Juniors (NPJ).

As a player, Doorn spent her freshman season (2022) at Idaho, before transferring to Sacramento State and playing three years for the Hornets (2023-25). She started 82 straight matches at setter, and helped lead the Hornets to a three-year combined record of 63-34 overall and 36-12 in league play. That includes a Big Sky championship and NCAA Tournament appearance during her junior year (2024).

"Sacramento State has meant so much to me over the last several years, so the opportunity to return as a coach is incredibly special," Doorn said. "This program helped shape me as both a player and a person, and I'm grateful to Coach Volta for believing in me. I'm excited to give back to the University that gave me so much and help our student-athletes create the same unforgettable experience I had wearing the Green and Gold."

During her three seasons, she tallied 2,576 assists, 741 digs, 91 blocks, 119 aces and 30 double-doubles. Her 2,576 career assists are 10th in program history. She helped quarterback one of the Big Sky's top offenses each year, including this past season when the Hornets ranked first (league play) in the Big Sky in points (17.62 pps) and hitting percentage (265). Also this past season, Doorn's 0.48 aces per set in conference play easily led the Big Sky, and her 10.13 assists per set ranked second.

A Big Sky all-academic selection all three years with the Hornets, Doorn graduated Magna Cum Laude from Sacramento State in May with a business degree and a 3.757 GPA.

The Bend, Ore., native also played four seasons with the Hornets' beach volleyball program (2023-26). She was an all-conference selection in the spring after setting the Sacramento State single-season record with 20 doubles wins with partner Mia Guevara.