Katie Lukes

Personal: Lukes is the oldest of two children in her family. Her hobbies include spending time by the ocean, going for walks, listening to podcasts, cooking, and cherishing moments with friends and family. She plans to pursue a career in business and marketing, showcasing her ambition beyond the volleyball court. In her personal life, Lukes has a golden retriever named Nash. She acknowledges San Diego assistant volleyball coach Jimmy Lundgren as a person who has made a significant difference in her life. In her youth, she played soccer until the age of 10 and enjoyed performing in plays. The No. 15 jersey holds special significance for Lukes as it was her jersey number during her formative years in the sport of volleyball.

2023 Season: Lukes was one of six draftees selected in the 2023 Athletes Unlimited Volleyball College Draft.

International Experience: During her freshman year at San Diego, Lukes participated in open tryouts for the United States National Team, showcasing her talent and ambition in the sport of volleyball.

At San Diego: Lukes had a standout five-year college career at San Diego, where she played in 100 matches from 2018 to 2022. Over the course of her collegiate journey, she logged 341 career sets, with a career-high of 100 sets as a sophomore. Lukes left a significant mark on the program, ranking seventh in program history with 1,359 kills. Throughout her college career, Lukes received accolades for her performance on the court. She was a four-time All-West Coast Conference selection and earned First-Team honors in her final two years. Her impressive contributions led to her being named the WCC Player of the Year as a redshirt senior, a season in which she guided the Toreros to the NCAA semifinals. Her exceptional play also earned her recognition as a Third-Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and Second-Team All-American honors from VolleyballMag.com. Lukes was twice named to the AVCA All-Pacific South Region Team. Her college journey began with a strong start, as she was named to the 2018 WCC All-Freshman Team after recording 229 kills in 30 matches. As a redshirt senior, Lukes started in all 33 matches and tallied a team-high 426 kills. She also showcased her defensive skills, ranking third on the team with 220 digs. Throughout her college career, Lukes recorded numerous matches with 15 or more kills, including a standout performance with 20 kills against Stanford in an NCAA quarterfinal victory. In her senior season, Lukes finished second on the team with 337 kills and had three 20-kill performances, including a career-high of 27 kills against Gonzaga on November 6, 2021. Her consistent contributions were evident as she earned back-to-back Second-Team All-WCC commendations in her sophomore and junior years. Notably, she played alongside current Athletes Unlimited Volleyball athlete Gabby Blossom during her final season at San Diego.