Honors & Awards
• 2009 Big 12 Postgraduate Scholarship Winner
• 2009 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Winner
• 2009 NCAA’s Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship
• 2008 First-Team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American
• 2008 Honorable-Mention All-Big 12
• 2008 Team Tri-Captain
• Two-Time First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2006, 2008)
• 2008 First-Team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VII
• Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (10/27/08)
• 2008 Big 12 Community of Champions Award
• 2007 Big 12 Fall Good Works Team
• 2007 Husker Volleyball Lifter of the Year
• 2006 Third-Team Academic All-District VII
• Four-Year Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Member
• Nine-Time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
• 2006 Hero Award for Student-Athlete Leadership
• 2008 Match Club Endowed Scholarship Winner
2008: Senior
Gates wrapped up a successful career in 2008, leading the Huskers to a 31-3 record, a Big 12 title and an appearance in the NCAA Semifinals • Helped Nebraska post a 127-8 record in her career, marking the most ever wins by a Husker senior class • Played in three National Semifinals during her career, winning a national title in 2006 • Never lost a home match, going 72-0 and helping the Huskers to four straight conference titles and three appearances in the national semifinals • Started all 34 matches in 2008, averaging 1.78 kills and a team-best 1.14 blocks from her middle blocker position • Ranked fourth in the Big 12 in blocks (1.14) and sixth in hitting percentage (.339) • Was a focal point in Big 12 play, averaging 1.90 kills per game while ranking among Big 12 leaders in blocks (1.10, fourth) and hitting percentage (.376, third) to earn honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades • Had five matches with at least 10 kills, including a career-high 11 kills on three occasions • Shined in the National Semifinals against No. 1 Penn State on Dec. 18, coming up with nine kills on .467 hitting and five blocks against the eventual national champions • Led NU with seven blocks and added four kills at No. 5 Washington on Dec. 13, after opening the regional with eight kills on .615 hitting and five blocks versus No. 19 Michigan • Performed well in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, averaging 2.57 kills on .400 hitting and 1.14 blocks, highlighted by a career-high tying 11 kills against Liberty on Dec. 5 • Totaled 10 kills on .692 hitting and four blocks versus Texas Tech on Nov. 22 • Tied her career high with 11 kills on .450 hitting in a loss at No. 4 Texas on Nov. 19 • Drilled eight kills on a career-high .727 hitting and added two blocks at Kansas on Nov. 15 • Had eight kills on .400 hitting and five blocks against Iowa State on Nov. 1 • Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 27, averaging 2.00 blocks and 1.83 kills per set while hitting .667 • Totaled eight kills on .700 hitting and four blocks at Oklahoma on Oct. 25 • Led NU with eight blocks and chipped in three kills against Texas A&M on Oct. 22 • Reached double figures in kills for the second straight match at Texas Tech on Oct. 1, finishing with 10 kills on just 14 swings for a season-best .571 hitting percentage • Played one of her best matches in a win over Iowa State, totaling a career-high 11 kills on .348 hitting and three blocks on Sept. 27 • Was one of NU’s leaders at No. 18 Kansas State on Sept. 17, tying then-career bests in kills (8) and blocks (10) while hitting .438 on 16 swings in the four-set victory • Her 10 blocks against K-State were the most by a Husker since the 2006 season • Enjoyed a strong match against No. 4 USC on Aug. 31 with seven kills on .357 hitting and six blocks
2007: Junior
Gates served as NU’s primary backup to All-American Tracy Stalls and Kori Cooper at middle blocker and averaged 1.29 kills and 0.81 blocks per set in 16 matches • Posted at least two blocks in six matches, including a season-best three stuffs on two occasions • Started the final game against South Dakota State in NU’s NCAA Tournament opener on Nov. 30, coming up with three kills and a block • Started the final two sets against No. 22 Oklahoma on Nov. 17, totaling four kills and matching her season high with three blocks • Saw extensive action in the second set at No. 12 Kansas State on Nov. 3, totaling two kills on .333 hitting, a pair of digs and a block in NU’s comeback win over the Wildcats • Recorded four kills and three blocks in a sweep at Kansas on Sept. 26 • Earned her first start of the year at middle blocker against Texas A&M on Sept. 22, and recorded a career-high eight kills on .429 hitting and a pair of blocks in a sweep of the Aggies • Totaled three kills on three swings in the finale against No. 17 Cal Poly on Sept. 3.
2006: Sophomore
Gates appeared in 23 contests, including 11 starts during NU’s national championship campaign, averaging 1.27 kills and 1.18 blocks per game • Played well coming off the bench in the second half of the season, hitting .536 over Nebraska’s last 16 matches, including 13 kills on her final 18 swings of the year • Was an unsung hero in NU’s national title win over No. 2 Stanford, coming off the bench to deliver three blocks, including two key blocks in game three to help NU erase a 27-25 deficit • Had three kills on as many swings and four blocks in NU’s first-round NCAA win over American on Dec. 1 • Enjoyed her best match of the season in NU’s Big 12 clinching win at Kansas on Nov. 22, delivering a career-high seven kills on .778 hitting and two blocks in two games • Established a career high with 10 blocks in her first career start against San Diego on Aug. 29 • Played one of her best matches of the year against Kansas on Sept. 13, totaling a match-high seven blocks - including six in the opening game - and six kills • Totaled a then-season-high six kills on .455 hitting and three blocks in a sweep of Long Beach State on Sept. 3 • Came off the bench to deliver five blocks and three kills against Colorado on Oct. 14.
2005: Freshman
Gates was a valuable reserve in helping the Huskers win a Big 12 title and earn an NCAA runner-up finish • Appeared in nine matches, averaging 0.94 kills and 0.81 blocks per game • Recorded at least one block in eight of the nine matches she appeared in, including a season-high three blocks on three occasions • Shined against Alabama A&M in NU’s first-round NCAA win, totaling a season-high four kills and a block in game three - her only action of the match • Earned much of her playing time early in the season as Tracy Stalls recovered from knee surgery • Started in her collegiate debut against No. 4 Hawaii at the AVCA Showcase at the Qwest Center, totaling three kills and three blocks • Hit .400 with three kills and three blocks in a sweep of No. 12 Ohio State on Sept. 2 • Tied then-season bests in kills (3), blocks (3) and assists (2) while hitting .750 against Michigan on Sept. 3 • Saw action in two Big 12 matches, recording a block at Texas Tech on Oct. 29 and a kill on her only swing against Colorado on Nov. 23.
High School
Gates was a three-year letterwinner for Coach Betsy Rall at Columbus High School • Named Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 pick and was No. 50 nationally on Prepvolleyball.com’s Senior Aces list • Started each of her last three seasons, totaling 1,232 kills in her career • Garnered first-team All-Nebraska and Super-State honors in 2004, leading Columbus to a 38-3 record and a Class A runner-up finish • Topped Class A in hitting percentage (.451) while drilling 476 kills and adding 97 blocks despite missing several matches with an ankle injury • Committed to NU during her junior season, a year where she was a first-team Class A selection and a second-team Super-State honoree • Topped the Discoverers with 433 kills on .316 hitting and 109 blocks as a junior • Played club volleyball for the Nebraska Juniors in 2005, earning All-America honors while helping the team to a third-place finish in the 18-Open Division at the Junior Olympics in Salt Lake City • Competed for the Challengers Volleyball Club, earning All-America club honors in both 2003 and 2004 while helping the club to a runner-up finish in the 17-and-under division of the 2004 USA Junior Olympics • Competed in basketball and track at Columbus High School, finishing her prep career with 11 varsity letters • Was heavily involved in other activities, working as the sports editor of the student paper, participating in the dance club and serving as president of the National Honor Society • Earned academic all-state honors in all three sports and ranked 11th in her graduating class of 250.
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