Natalie Klotz joined Bates in the fall of 2022 as an assistant volleyball coach after graduating from Willamette University with a BA in Economics and International Studies.
"I am so thrilled to welcome Natalie to the Bates volleyball coaching staff," head coach Emily Hayes said. "Natalie brings a wealth of experience playing at a high level and she is one of the most thoughtful, organized, and empowering leaders I have worked with. We are so grateful to have Natalie on our side of the net!"
Originally from Bonner Springs, Kansas, Klotz served as an assistant coach for Capital City Elite Volleyball Club in Salem, Ore. while in college.
A team captain at Willamette, Klotz was chosen Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference in 2021 after earning Second Team All-NWC recognition in 2019. In the fall of 2021, she contributed 161 kills and 3.74 kills per set before an injury prevented her from completing the season. She saw action in 11 matches and 43 sets. She registered a solid .226 hitting percentage and was credited with 12 service aces and 11 blocks.
Klotz ended the year ranked second in the NWC in kills per set. She earned more than 10 kills in nine of 11 matches. Klotz produced 15 or more kills six times. Before her knee injury, Klotz was leading the conference in kills per set. The night before her injury, she set a career-high in kills with 28 in a four-set match.
During four seasons with the Bearcats, she earned 784 kills and 3.19 kills per set. She played in 68 matches and 245 sets, while earning 545 digs, 75 aces, and 47 total blocks. Klotz achieved her career high of 28 kills against George Fox University on Oct. 1, 2021, as she tied for the most kills by a Willamette player in a match since 2006. She provided a career-high 20 digs against Linfield on Oct. 16, 2019. She was credited with six blocks against Johnson & Wales University (Colo.) on Aug. 31, 2018 and against Whitman College on Oct. 5, 2019. She registered six service aces versus Lewis & Clark College on Sept. 26, 2018.
