Former College of DuPage volleyball standout Katie Ryan will be inducted into the NJCAA Women's Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Nov. 11 during the NJCAA Division III Women's Volleyball National Championship banquet, recognizing an exceptional collegiate playing career and a lasting commitment to developing the next generation of volleyball players.

Ryan competed for the Chaparrals in 1995 and 1996, establishing herself as one of the nation's premier junior college players. She earned All-American, All-Region and All-Conference honors, helped lead COD to a conference championship and captured two regional titles. Ryan also finished second nationally in hitting percentage and blocking while setting a school record for hitting percentage and tying the program's blocking record.

A dominant 6-foot-3 middle hitter, Ryan recorded 541 kills during the 1996 season, averaging 4.23 kills per game. She finished her COD career with a .352 hitting percentage, establishing herself as one of the most accomplished players in program history.

Ryan's impact extended beyond the court. She earned Academic Athletic Superstar recognition in 1996 for maintaining a grade-point average of at least 3.5 while balancing the demands of college athletics.

Growing up in Naperville, Ryan was a multisport athlete at Naperville Central High School, competing in volleyball, basketball and track all four years. She earned All-State, All-Conference and All-Tournament recognition in volleyball, along with basketball All-Conference and All-Tournament honors. In track, she won a DuPage Valley Conference championship in the high jump and placed sixth in the state.

Ryan initially considered attending college farther from home but ultimately chose COD, where both of her parents had attended. She also knew the college offered the coursework necessary to pursue her goal of becoming a teacher.

"The teachers there were amazing, and they're the ones that kind of set the tone for me," Ryan said. "They worked really well with the athletes as well."

The academic foundation she built at DuPage allowed Ryan to transfer to DePaul University and enter its elementary education program without having to repeat foundational coursework. She continued her playing career with the Blue Demons, where she became one of the program's most productive offensive players.

Ryan earned third-team All-Conference USA honors in 1997 and second-team recognition in 1998. She led DePaul in kills during both seasons. Her 1998 hitting percentage of .322 ranked fourth in Conference USA and established a DePaul single-season record at the time. She also earned Most Valuable Player recognition in 1998 and collected All-Tournament honors at multiple events.

Her collegiate career included opportunities to pursue an even bigger dream. Ryan attempted to qualify for the Olympics, demonstrating the determination that would become a defining characteristic of her athletic and coaching journeys.

While competing at DePaul, she suffered a severe ankle injury just a week before an Olympic tryout. Despite a third-degree ankle sprain and significant swelling, Ryan insisted on participating because she wanted the opportunity to pursue her dream. Although she was not selected, she tried again the following year.

"I know that I did my best. I did everything I could," Ryan said. "So here we go."

Ryan credited former COD head coach LuAnn Zimmick, a member of the College of DuPage Athletics Hall of Fame, with helping her develop the confidence and leadership skills that carried her through her playing career and into coaching.

"She gave me an opportunity to not only be a captain and know what a leadership role was, but also gave us lifetime skills," Ryan said. "I built a lot of confidence at College of DuPage because of her, and I was able to make it at DePaul, which I was very scared of."

One lesson from Zimmick continues to guide Ryan today: "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and to be late is to be irresponsible."

Ryan carried those lessons into a coaching career that has spanned more than two decades. She returned to her hometown and coached the girls volleyball program at Naperville Central High School from 2000-22. She also coached the boys team from 2000-07 and 2014-21.

In addition, Ryan helped establish the boys volleyball program at Benet Academy in 2007, coaching there through 2012. Her coaching experience also includes serving as a student assistant coach at DePaul in 1999, working with Special Olympics for a year and coaching club volleyball with Straight Down Volleyball Club and Club 1 Volleyball Club. At Club 1, she served as both an 18-and-under coach and a master coach. She continues to give back to the sport through club coaching.

For Ryan, one of the greatest rewards of coaching has been watching former players carry the lessons they learned into their own lives and coaching careers. Seeing former athletes return to Naperville Central as coaches and repeat the principles she once taught has been especially meaningful.

"It brings so much joy to me that I was able to pass something along, and that it stuck with someone," Ryan said. "And now they're passing it along to further volleyball players."

Her connection to the sport has continued beyond organized coaching, as Ryan has also played in women's indoor traveling leagues, coed leagues and sand volleyball.

Ryan learned of her NJCAA Women's Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame induction through an unexpected series of conversations with a former teammate whose daughter played for the Chaparrals. Initially, Ryan believed requests for old statistics and team photographs were intended to help the younger player. She was stunned when she learned the information had helped prompt the Hall of Fame recognition.

"I was super surprised. I didn't know there was such a thing," Ryan said. "I was stunned and just blessed."

Ryan also fondly remembers the relationships formed during her time at COD, particularly the bond among her teammates during her second season. The team spent time together away from the court, supported other Chaparrals athletic programs and developed friendships that have endured long after their playing days ended.

That sense of community, along with the leadership and confidence she gained under Zimmick, helped shape the coach Ryan would become.

"I would definitely say she is the reason that I love volleyball so much," Ryan said of Zimmick. "She really guided us and gave us those tools, and so many of those tools I use now, and I've given to the players that I've coached."

Ryan will be honored Nov. 11 at the NJCAA Division III Women's Volleyball National Championship banquet, celebrating an outstanding playing career at College of DuPage and a legacy that extends far beyond her accomplishments as a Chaparral.
Through decades of coaching and mentorship, she has continued to pass along the lessons, values and love of volleyball that first took root at DuPage.