Hall of Honor
Kathleen Kepley was a three-year letterwinner for the Wheaton volleyball program. She earned Second Team All-American recognition from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) in 1996, becoming only the second Wheaton volleyball player to earn All-American accolades. She was a two-time All-Midwest Region performer.
Kathleen led the CCIW in kills in 1995 with 4.1 kills per game. She twice earned First Team All-CCIW honors (in 1995 and 1996) and was a two-time All-CCIW tournament honoree (1994 and 1996). Upon her graduation she was Wheaton's all-time leader in kills with 1,539 is currently third on the all-time list. Kathleen set Wheaton's single-season record in 1995 with 604 kills, a mark that is still second.
Kathleen notes, "Since I grew up playing competitive sports, I was naturally very performance minded. I realized during my time at Wheaton that I was tying my performance to how I perceived God felt towards me. When we won I felt approved of and accepted, and when we lost I felt like a failure in His eyes. Thankfully, the Lord taught me during my time at Wheaton that His love for me is unconditional and that it didn't change depending on my personal performance or if we won or lost the game. That truth has continued to grow in my soul as I learn more deeply that Jesus feels the same way towards me now as when He was pouring out His life on the cross to forgive, save, and heal me—that His love for me has not and cannot diminish or change in any way since He 'is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
She recalls, "My best memories by far are spending time with and being discipled by Coach Soderquist and by a teammate, Jenn Gosden, who came back after she graduated to be our assistant coach. Meeting with Coach every week in her office and talking to Jenn Gosden on long van rides to away games and tournaments gave me invaluable time with mature women of faith and helped me find answers to very real spiritual questions I was struggling to resolve. I still remember when I finally got the guts up to ask Coach, "So, do you really know Jesus?". I had believed in God for my salvation at a relatively young age, but I didn't feel like I really knew Jesus in the way that I wanted to. Coach helped me to know and believe that I could know Him in a very real and personal way like she did.
