HBU Volleyball
Meet the Staff

Kathleen Platt
Head Coach

Kathleen “Kaddie” Mahoney Platt is in her 17th season as head volleyball coach at her alma mater, Houston Baptist University.
 
In 2010, she guided the Huskies to a 17-13 record overall and a 7-5 mark to finish fourth in the Great West Conference. Libero Courtney Whittleman was selected as the Great West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, earned second-team all-conference honors and an invitation to the United States National Team Tryouts. Right-side hitter Isis Gardner was named first-team all-conference and was joined on the all-newcomer team by setter Victoria Weatherly.
 
In 2009, HBU had a record of 13-20 and a conference mark of 3-9 in its first season in the Great West Conference. The Huskies’ run to a conference championship fell short in a five-set loss to Utah Valley in the semifinals. In 2008, HBU enjoyed its second 20-plus win season in Division I with a 24-7 mark. During the 2007 campaign, while achieving her 400th career victory, she led the Huskies to a 26-3 record in their first year back in the NCAA Division I ranks.
 
Platt, who holds a 477-148 (.763) record as a head coach created an NAIA volleyball power in her first 12 seasons at HBU, leading the Huskies to eight conference championships, five regional titles and six appearances at the NAIA National Tournament. The Huskies enjoyed their most successful season in 2002 when HBU was the NAIA national championship runner-up, garnering Platt National Coach of the Year and National Tournament Coach of the Year honors. She also has been named conference coach of the year seven times and became the winningest volleyball coach in HBU history after only two seasons.
 
Following a very successful playing career for the Huskies, Platt was an assistant coach at Howard Payne University for one season before returning to take the reins at HBU. A name quite frequent on the HBU volleyball career record holder’s list, Platt ranks eighth in digs with 1,193, 14th in career kills with 740 and eighth in solo blocks with 98. She was selected to the NAIA All-District team, making her the first HBU player to earn an NAIA award. She also was awarded her team’s Outstanding Hitter Award as a junior and Best All-Around Award as a sophomore and senior while also twice being named to the National Dean’s List. Platt, who also holds her master’s in education from HBU, was honored in 2000 with induction into the HBU Sports Hall of Honor and the University’s Walk of Honor for her outstanding play.
 
In her first season as head coach, Platt led her 1995 squad to a perfect 10-0 record in the Big State Conference, a conference championship, a conference tournament championship, and HBU volleyball’s first appearance in an NAIA regional tournament, Platt received Big State Conference Coach of the Year honors. She guided the 1995 team to a 34-13 record, only to be bettered by her 1998 team. The 1998 Huskies garnered a 33-6 record, a Red River Athletic Conference Championship and a conference tournament championship.

Platt has coached 46 all-conference players with 15 of those going on to receive All-America honors. In 2002, she coached the NAIA Player of the Year, Elele Ekadeli. She also places great importance on the academic side of her athletes and has coached 99 academic all-conference honorees with 15 of those going on to achieve Academic All-America status.

She is married to Robert Platt, also an HBU graduate and former athletic trainer for the Huskies. They are the proud parents of 12-year old Robert Jr., and she enjoys volleyball, basketball, weight training, running, and reading. Platt, who is a past President of the NAIA Volleyball Coaches Association, served as a national rater for the RRAC and the NAIA Region VI. She is a member of the United States Volleyball Association and the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Jenny Andrew
Assistant Coach

Jenny Andrew was named assistant volleyball coach at Houston Baptist University in March 2011, joining the Huskies after spending one season as an assistant coach at the University of Virginia, where she served as recruiting and offensive coordinator. She previously coached the 17 and under team for Austin Juniors Volleyball Club, one of the top three club programs in the nation, qualifying for nationals twice and receiving the 2010 Coach of the Year Award. She also worked for Nike as a marketing specialist.
 
During her four-year career at the University of Texas, the 6-foot-2 setter made three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the Sweet 16 in 2004 and the Elite Eight in 2006. She was named most valuable player in 2006, was a Big 12 Academic All-Conference and Commissioner’s Honor Roll selection and served on the Student-Athletic Advisory Council. Andrew was invited to try out for the United States National Team and trained with the USA Volleyball A2 Team.

Andrew graduated from Texas in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in sport management with a minor in business foundations. She is a Houston-area native, and was a standout on the court at Kingwood High School.

Ahen Kim
Assistant Coach

Ahen Kim is in his first season as graduate assistant coach at Houston Baptist University after spending last season as George Washington’s Director of Volleyball Operations. Prior to George Washingoton, he was as an assistant coach at Catholic University in Washington, where he helped the Cardinals post a 24-14 overall record in 2009 and a 4-2 mark in the Landmark Conference.
 
Kim spent the summer of 2006 studying abroad in London at Westminster University and is fluent in Korean. He served as a head coach of the Metro American Volleyball Club in Washington since December, 2009.
 
A native of Philadelphia, Kim attended Franklin and Marshall College, where he was a captain of the men’s volleyball club team as an outside hitter and defensive specialist.

Kim is a 2007 graduate of Franklin and Marshall with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and American Government.

Travis Clifford
Team Manager

Travis is entering his third season as team manager at HBU Volleyball.  Clifford’s primary job duty includes Data Volleyball Video and Statistic analysis.  He also has great at all aspects of the game and is an insightful coach.

Clifford has coached club and camps for  GCVA, Gulf Coast Volleyball Association, since 2005 and has coached a variety of ages ranging from 12s to 18s. 

Clifford has played beach volleyball events since he was eight years old and is now considered one of the best beach players in the Houston Gulf Coast Area.  Clifford played club volleyball for five years and transferred to HBU from Lindenwood University. 

Clifford is an Education Major in the field of Composite Social Studies.

Clifford is Impact Certified and USAV Volleyball Provisional Referee and Scorekeeper. 

Other Coaches at camp will include former and current members of the HBU Volleyball Staff & Team.