Lander University Women's Volleyball

Kathryn Settle enters her first season as Lander volleyball’s head coach in 2025 after serving as the Bearcats’ assistant coach since January 2021, where she played a pivotal role in the program’s success. In her five seasons as an assistant, Settle helped lead Lander to an 87-47 overall record and a 34-25 mark in Peach Belt Conference play. Her leadership was instrumental in guiding the Bearcats to the 2024 PBC regular-season championship, the first in program history, and the 2023 conference championship game appearance, Lander's first since 2007. Settle also helped coach Lander to the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons, making the Regional Semifinals in 2022 and 2023. The Bearcats reached the program's first Southeast Regional Championship game this past season.  During her time on staff, Settle helped develop multiple All-Conference and All-Region players while contributing to one of the most successful five-year stretches in Lander Volleyball history. Her leadership, strategic mindset and commitment to player development have been key to the program's rise as a championship contender. In 2023, Settle was honored with the prestigious American Volleyball Coaches Association's 30 Under 30 Award, recognizing her as one of the top 30 college coaches in the nation under the age of 30.

Meredith Hollinger is set to begin her first season as Lander’s assistant volleyball coach in 2025, following her hire in August. Hollinger joins the Bearcats after serving as a graduate assistant at Springfield College in Massachusetts from August 2023 to May 2025. During her time with the Pride, she helped guide the program to back-to-back NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, a conference championship in 2023, and a runner-up finish in 2024. Springfield saw significant success under her guidance, producing five All-Americans in 2023, along with the AVCA Region Player and Freshman of the Year. The program also earned Conference Coaching Staff of the Year and Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors, with three athletes named All-Conference and five earning AVCA All-Region recognition. In 2024, the team added two more All-Americans, three AVCA All-Region selections, and three All-Conference honorees. Before beginning her coaching career, Hollinger was a standout student-athlete at Erskine College, where she earned multiple All-Conference accolades. She was named the 2022 Erskine College Female Athlete of the Year and was a 2023 Murphy Osborne Award finalist, an honor presented annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Conference Carolinas. She earned her degree in psychology with a minor in history. Hollinger also spent time as a player at Christian Brothers University.