Camp Staff

Kaddie Platt, Head Coach

Kaddie Platt Kaddie Platt joined the University of Houston Volleyball program and was named head coach on March 27, 2012. Named the sixth head coach in program history, Platt comes to UH after 17 seasons as the head coach at Houston Baptist.

During her first season at the helm of the Cougars, Platt led Houston to a 9-19 overall record and a 7-9 mark in the program's final season in Conference USA. Earning the No. 7 seed in the C-USA Championship, Platt led the Cougars to an exciting 3-2 victory over No. 2 seed Rice in Tulsa. Platt secured her 500th career victory and first win as Houston's head coach on Sept. 1 in a 3-1 win at Lipscomb.

Platt coached seniors Katie Norris and Chandace Tryon to All-Conference First and Second Team honors, respectively, while freshman Emily Howard was named to C-USA's All-Freshman Team. Platt also coached C-USA All-Academic Team member Stephanie Nwachukwu to the post season honor.

"We are so excited to welcome Kaddie, her husband Robert and son Robert Jr., into our family," Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades said. "When we began the search for a new head volleyball coach we naturally had certain criteria in mind. We wanted someone who fit the culture of Houston Athletics, someone that put the development of their student-athletes first, someone with great integrity who had experience growing a program, someone with great ties to our city and state's volleyball community and someone who had experience winning championships, with great success on and off the court and a proven winner. As our search progressed, Kaddie's name continued to present itself and after speaking with her, we knew we had found the perfect leader for our volleyball program."

Platt brings a wealth of volleyball knowledge and playing experience to the University of Houston after compiling an impressive 499-157 career record while leading the Huskies at HBU for 17 seasons.

"I would like to thank Mack Rhodes, T.J. Meagher, and DeJuena Chizer for giving me this amazing opportunity to lead the University of Houston volleyball program," Platt said. "I am honored to be a part of the University of Houston athletics department's vision and commitment to excellence. I am looking forward to working with the current players to compete for a Conference USA Championship next season and future BIG EAST Conference Championships."

During her tenure at Houston Baptist, Platt led the Huskies to eight conference championships, five regional titles and six appearances at the NAIA National Tournament, while also recording a National Runner-Up performance in 2002. For that effort, Platt was named NAIA National Coach of the Year and National Tournament Coach of the Year.

"The student-athletes' commitment to their University, their academics and the support from the entire staff makes it a perfect fit for myself and my family," Platt said. "My husband Robert and 13-year-old son, Robert Jr., and myself look forward to calling UH our new home."

She quickly became the winningest volleyball coach in HBU history after only two seasons. Platt was instrumental in Houston Baptist's return to the NCAA Division I ranks in 2007, tallying a record of 26-3.

Since 2007, Platt led HBU to three 20-win seasons and comes to Houston after a 22-9 campaign in 2011, leading the Huskies to the semifinals of the Great West Conference Tournament and earning Great West Coach of the Year honors.

Platt is a 1994 graduate of Houston Baptist and played four years for the Huskies. She currently ranks eighth all-time in digs (1,193), eighth in solo blocks (98) and 14th all-time in career kills (740). After pursuing her master's degree in education, Platt was honored for her success on the court in 2000 when she was inducted into the HBU Sports Hall of Honor and the University's Walk of Honor.

"The University of Houston volleyball program is going in the right direction and I'm eager to share in the excitement and am looking forward to building on the tradition that is the legacy of Cougar sports," Platt said.


Jenny Andrew, Assistant Coach

Jenny Andrew University of Houston head volleyball coach Kaddie Platt announced that Jenny Andrew has joined the program as an assistant coach.

A veteran of the state of Texas and a well-respected instructor, Andrew joins the UH staff after spending the last season working under Platt at Houston Baptist University as an assistant coach. Last season she helped guide the Huskies to a 22-9 campaign and a semifinals appearance in the Great West Conference Tournament.

"I am so excited to add Jenny to our staff," Platt said. "I have appreciated the opportunity to work with Jenny over the past year and she has proven to be an exceptional assistant coach. She has great knowledge of the game, provides positive energy in the gym, and is gifted in her communication skills. This is a great addition to our program."

Prior to HBU, Andrew spent one season at the University of Virginia, where she served as recruiting and offensive coordinator. She also previously coached the 17-and-under team for the Austin Juniors Volleyball Club, annually one of the nation's top three club programs, qualifying for nationals twice, while receiving the 2010 Coach of the Year honors.

"I am so excited to continue my coaching career at the University of Houston, and the opportunity to join Coach Platt's staff at a university with such great volleyball tradition was just a natural move for me," Andrew said. "I have so much respect for Coach Platt and what she built at HBU. She is an incredible volleyball coach and an even better person. I want to thank Coach Platt, and the administration at Houston, as well as everyone at HBU for allowing me to continue my career in such an incredible city."

Andrew was a four-year letterwinner at the University of Texas and was instrumental in the team's success as a 6-foot-2 setter. She helped her team to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the Sweet 16 in 2004 and 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. Andrew was invited to try out for the United States National Team prior to her senior season and following her career as a Longhorn, she made the USA Volleyball A2 Team.

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

"I believe Jenny to be a perfect fit for the needs of our current players," Platt said. "She is a demanding coach that has had high-level experiences, and she truly cares about the whole student-athlete experience."

At Houston, Andrew will assist Platt in all aspects of the program, most specifically the development of the offense and setters. She will also manage the day-to-day recruiting responsibilities.

"I have great pride for the state of Texas, especially Houston, and I look forward to selling that to the top recruits across the country," Andrew said. "I am excited to help this program transition into the BIG EAST and back into the national spotlight. I am happy to say that the University of Houston is my new home, Go Cougars!"

 

David Hyte, Assistant Coach

David Hyte David Hyte became the newest member of the University of Houston volleyball coaching staff on July 24, 2012.

"David is the exact fit I was looking for to round out my staff," Platt said. "He brings an enthusiasm for learning and a sincere desire to see the student-athletes become successful. He has a great court demeanor, is super-competitive, and I look forward to working with him on staff."

At Houston, Hyte will assist with scouting breakdowns, training hitters and blocking systems, recruiting, and serve as the point person for the technology resource.

"David brings experience recruiting, training hitters, defensive systems, and a wealth of technology experience to our program. We are thrilled to welcome David to the University of Houston," Platt said.

Hyte comes to Houston after serving as an assistant coach at Idaho State for the last four years. He focused much of his attention on the work of middle blockers and hitters.

"I would like to thank Kaddie Platt for giving me this honor and opportunity to be a part of the exciting future of University of Houston Athletics and specifically it's volleyball team," Hyte said. "The University of Houston is a first-class institution and I am excited to continue to grow as a coach under Coach Platt and the excellent UH athletics department. Go Coogs!"

During his time at Idaho State, he helped lead the Bengals to the Big Sky Conference tournament in 2010 for the first time since 2005. The team finished 18-13 overall and 9-7 in conference play with a third-place regular season finish.

Under his leadership, several Bengals received post-season nods, including Britta Bartschi-Rhodehouse, a Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team selection in 2010 and Breanne Van Every, a First Team All-Conference honoree in 2011.

Hyte helped develop the program from a 10-match win season in his first year to a 13-15 overall record in his second season, both of which hadn't happened since 2006.

Prior to joining the staff at Idaho State, Hyte gained coaching experience as a volunteer assistant at Brigham Young University. He worked primarily with the middle blockers and team blocking. With his leadership, the team finished atop the conference and 14th nationally in hitting percentage.

Along with coaching, Hyte has seven years of experience working and running summer volleyball camps.

Hyte was a 2004 graduate of Brigham Young with a bachelor's in communications with an advertising and marketing sequence. He competed as a member of BYU's Division I volleyball team from 2002-04. Hyte played an integral role on the 2004 NCAA Championship team and 2003 NCAA Runner-Up team.

He received an associate's degree in integrated studies from Utah Valley, where he played two seasons of volleyball. He played a part on the 2001 NIRSA National Championship team and 2002 NIRSA National Runner-up team.