Karis Watson

Personal: Watson served as a volunteer assistant coach for Winthrop University’s volleyball team in 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in parks, recreation, and tourism management from Clemson and a master’s degree in marketing management from the University of Essex in England. Karis comes from an athletic family, with her father, Ken, playing football at Maryland, and her brother, Benjamin, playing football at Georgia and in the NFL. Another brother, Asa, played football at NC State, while her sister, Jessica, competed in track and field at Coastal Carolina. Karis also played the viola in school and participated in gymnastics, soccer, and track and field. Her hobbies include drawing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. She was a bridesmaid at the wedding of fellow Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball athlete Taylor Bruns Tegenrot, with whom she played internationally.

2023 Season: Watson made her Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball debut in 2023, compiling 1,917 leaderboard points and ranking fifth in the league with 1,720 win points. She tied for fourth with 10 match victories and appeared in 24 sets over nine matches. Watson collected 33 kills, 10 digs, and tied for eighth among middle blockers with 11 block assists. She also had four solo blocks. Her standout performance came on October 23 when she earned MVP 2 honors with a season-high eight kills against Team Rosenthal, contributing to a season-high 246 leaderboard points.

Other Professional Experience: Watson has been playing professionally since 2016 with six different teams. Most recently, she competed for SRD Saint-Dié-des-Vosges in France during the 2022-23 season, after spending two seasons with VC Kanti Schaffhausen in Switzerland. Watson has also played in Germany, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, and participated in the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation in 2024 with the Atlanta Vibe.

At Clemson: Watson was a four-year letter winner at Clemson, appearing in 88 matches from 2011-2014. She played in 301 sets, including a career-high 119 sets during her senior season. Throughout her college career, she tallied 459 kills and 320 total blocks. As a senior, she posted a .323 hitting percentage and 236 kills over 32 matches. Watson recorded double-digit kills in seven matches, including a season-high 13 kills against Winthrop. As a junior, she started 22 matches, with nine double-digit kill performances, and established her career-high with 16 kills in a match.