Fresh from 20 wins last season, UST Volleyball is excited to welcome Kat Tatum as the newest assistant coach to the program. After coaching at the youth and club levels for over 10 years, the former Division II standout from Georgia is ready to jump into the college scene.

“I am excited for the opportunity to support Coach [Keanne] Burt with elevating our UST Volleyball program to the next level!” Coach Tatum said.

Always in The Game

Coach Tatum grew up in Flowery Branch, Georgia, and attended Buford High School where she lettered in both basketball and volleyball. In volleyball, Tatum helped lead her team to the Super Six in 2012 and the Sweet 16 in 2011. She was also the team captain and held the school record in blocks. From an early age, Coach Tatum faced adversity. She grew up with a congenital bone disorder called Trevor’s Disease in her ankle, requiring multiple surgeries. However, these setbacks did not stop her passion for volleyball. Tatum earned a scholarship to Division II Columbus State University and was named CHOA’s Comeback Athlete of the Year. Then in college, Tatum played in 26 matches with 18 starts before retiring due to her injury. From there, she began to fall in love with coaching.

Coach Tatum started coaching with COLAVOL Volleyball Club in Columbus, Georgia, then moved back to Atlanta where she went on to coach at A5 Volleyball Club (A5 Gwinnett), which is the number one volleyball club in the nation. After accepting a job in the fall of 2021, she relocated to Houston. Tatum also coaches for the highly recognized Absolute Volleyball Academy in Webster, a program that has produced 46 collegiate commitments since her arrival. She has also worked volleyball camps for Division I Louisiana State and Rice Universities.

“Celt volleyball is excited to expand its coaching staff with the addition of Coach Tatum,” Head Coach Keanne Burt ’10 added. “She brings a depth of knowledge to our offensive system and has already plugged herself into what HoUSTon volleyball is all about!”