Kristee Porter is in her second season with the Cowgirls after leading McNeese to a 5-7 overall record in her first season with the Cowgirls following a 2020 fall that was nothing but usual in Lake Charles.
Along with the Covid-19 Pandemic, Lake Charles suffered through two major hurricanes (Laura and Delta) six weeks apart that ravished Lake Charles and the surrounding areas. Then in February of 2021, an unusual ice storm past through Lake Charles that added to more setback. Because of the hurricanes the Cowgirls were displaced and their fall season was eventually postponed to the spring of 2021. Only the Southland Conference schedule was played.
Porter and her team made the best out of the situation, having had to play their matches at SP Arnett Middle School in nearby Sulphur due to damages to its home arena.
Porter picked up her first two wins as the Cowgirls coach with a straight set win (3-0) over Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 4 then two days later picked up a thrilling 3-2 win over Nicholls. The Cowgirls picked up three more wins on the season but fell just short of advancing to the Southland Conference Tournament.
Junior Regan Stiawalt was named to the All-Southland Conference team as well as the All-Louisiana team.
The three-time All-American at UCLA and NCAA Player of the Year, Director of Volleyball Operations on the national level, and veteran head coach, Porter was named the Cowgirls head coach on December 30, 2019.
Porter came to McNeese after head coaching stints at Navarro College and Henderson State, as well as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado.
Prior to joining HSU, she spent a year at Factory Athletics/Under Armour as Director of Volleyball Operations where she led the division's day-to-day operations, as well as traveling to many of Volleyball Factory's national tryout and player development events across the country where she evaluated talent and recruited players to attend Under Armour National Programs.
Porter organized more than 40 events for Under Armour. She was also in charge in the training and development of elite players as well as training coaches.Â
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Porter began her coaching career serving as head coach at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas, from 2009 to 2012. She guided Navarro to three straight winning seasons while appearing in the NJCAA post-season tournament each year. She also coached the Texas Image Volleyball Club's 15's Mizuno Elite team in Dallas, Texas.
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Porter became an assistant coach at Colorado in 2012 and was responsible for assisting in the daily operations of the volleyball program including recruiting, training, communication with prospects, travel, and game preparation.Â
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As a player, Porter was a four-time All-American (two-time AVCA and two-time Volleyball Magazine) at UCLA, and was named the Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year in 2000. She was also a star on the basketball court and in track and field and was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame for all three sports.
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Porter played in 110 matches (397 sets) and recorded 2,255 kills, 4,936 attacks, 1,119 digs, 270 blocks, 2,515 points and hit .281 for the Bruins. She is UCLA's career leader in kills, kills per set and attacks.
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Porter became the first Pac-10 player to record 2,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. Her digs total (1,119) currently ranks 12th in school history. She helped the Bruins to four straight appearances in the NCAA tournament, advancing to the Elite Eight three times (1999-2001).
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One of the best athletes in UCLA's storied history, Porter also competed for the Bruins in basketball and track and field. In 2001 she ranked second in the Pac-10 in rebounding (8.1 rpg), third in blocked shots (1.77 bpg) and 11th in scoring (13.0 ppg). Her 39 blocked shots that season ranks second all-time in Bruins' history.
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As a member of the track and field team, she scored three times at the Pac-10 Outdoor Championships. In 2001 and 1999 she placed third in the triple jump and in 2000 she was sixth.
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Porter graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in history from UCLA.  The Tyler, Texas native earned her master's in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University-Irvine in Irvine, California. She was an inaugural inductee into the Tyler ISD Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.Â
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After college, she became a member of the USA Volleyball Women's National Team from 2001-2004. She also played professional volleyball internationally from 2001-2010 for Gigantes De Carolina, a professional team in Puerto Rico, and was named the league's MVP in 2003 and 2004. She helped lead the team to five straight league titles (2003-08). She also played for Bargas De Toledo in Toledo, Spain in 2005.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
McNeese Head Coach (2020- present)
Colorado Assistant Coach (2012)
Navarra Junior College Head Coach (2009-2011)
Henderson State Head Coach (2015-2016)
EDUCATION
UCLA (History Degree)
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PLAYING CAREER
• UCLA (1998-2001)
• 3-time All-America
• 3-time All-Pac 10
• 2-time AVCA All-District VIII
• All-Pacifice Region
• Asics/Volleyball Magazine Player of the Year (2000)
• PAC 10 Freshman of the Year (1998)
• Member of four straight NCAA Tournament appearances
• Member of three Elite Eight teams (1999-2001)
• First Pac-10 player in history to record both 2,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs
• Also a member of the basketball and track and field teams
• Inducted into the 2019 UCLA Hall of Fame
• Member of the USA Women's National Team (2001-2004)
• Played professionally (2001-2010) for Gigantes De Carolina where she ws named team MVP (2003, 2004)
• Led Gigantes De Carolina to five straight league titles
• Also played for Bargas Del Toledo, Spain (2005)
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