Kate Schrader is the second recruit in Wesmen Volleyball history from Texas, and she's pretty familiar with the player who was the program's first.
 
Schrader, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker/right side from Katy, Texas, has committed to Phil Hudson's Wesmen women's team in the Class of 2024. She will in enroll in Pre-Law and have five years of eligibility. 
 
In Winnipeg, Schrader will join her sister Hannah, a Class of 2021 recruit who was the program's first ever Texas commitment.
 
Kate Schrader said she was influenced by her older sister early on.
 
"I was the younger kid so I had to go watch her," she said. "But it was so fascinating … and that's when I gained interest in volleyball because, obviously, as the younger sister you want to copy your older sister. She made me want to start volleyball and that's when I built up my own character in the sport."
 
The younger Schrader said it was her 16U season when she "started to get really competitive in volleyball." That year, her Katy United 16s earned a berth in USA Volleyball nationals in Indianapolis and finished second overall in the massive field. 
 
Schrader took a route to post-secondary that would seem uncommon to Canadian students: She didn't play her senior year in high school, instead committing to her 18U Catalyst travel team that played the same calendar as the Texas high school league. 
 
"I think seeing these big, top teams play — because I see them all around — it really made me have a self-reflection of 'what can I do to help my team and what can I do to develop my confidence?'" she said. "Seeing that level helped my mental game, as well as my physical."
 
She has already visited Winnipeg prior to committing, participating in a training session in December 2022 that gave her an idea of what the Wesmen program is about. 
 
"I was keeping my mind pretty open throughout the season because I didn't really know where I wanted to go," she said. "I knew that coming to Winnipeg was pretty top of my list because I had already been around the coaches and some of the players and it felt right, but I still didn't know.
 
"… After my Zoom call with Coach Hudson after my season and he offered me the spot, that's when I was like 'OK, yes, this is where I want to be for the next four or five years.'"

She was also cognizant of wanting her big sister's blessing before officially committing.
 
"My sister and my parents really believed in me and brought this idea that you can play at the next level and you will play at the next level.
 
"... Also, yeah it's for me, but I didn't want to intrude on my sister so I had to really talk to her and make sure she would want me to come along, and when she said yes that's when I knew it was perfect for me."
 
Hudson believes the Wesmen are getting a dynamic athlete who can affect the game at the net.
 
"Kate is an excellent athlete and at 6'2 she has the ability to play the game well above the net," he said. "She has experience playing both middle and right side side, and she has a live arm, a solid skill base and an exuberant personality. We look forward to watching Kate develop as a Wesmen over the next few years."