Katie Neff Hometown: Chicago, Illinois High School: Cor Jesu Academy (St. Louis) Position: Director ('06-'09 term) Monogram Earned: Volleyball Graduated: 2004

Former Notre Dame volleyball player Katie Neff ('04) is the youngest member of the current Monogram Club board, joining the board in June of 2005 to fill the spot of Van Pearcy (to 2006). Pearcy rotated into the Monogram Club secretary spot, after Joe Restic was named second vice-president.

Neff spent her first postgraduate year working for the Chicago-based Abelson-Taylor pharmaceutical advertising agency - the nation's largest independent advertising agency - and is set to begin her studies at the Loyola Chicago Law School in the fall of 2005.

A regular contributor at the opposite-hitter position during her final two seasons with the Irish, the 6-foot-4 Neff averaged 1.00 blocks per game during her career - good for 12th in the Notre Dame record book and 2nd-best by a non-middle blocker. She helped Notre Dame annually rank among the nation's block leaders, including a 2003 season in which the Irish claimed the NCAA blocking title.

Neff logged 250 games and 90 matches during her career while helping Notre Dame compile a four-year record of 95-29 from 2000-03, with the Irish advancing to the NCAAs in each of her four seasons. She played a key role in the '03 team setting the Notre Dame record for season block average (3.72) while helping hold the '03 opponents to a .165 hitting percentage, also combining with Lauren Brewster, Lauren Kelbley and Emily Loomis in each recording 100-plus blocks (they were the first four ND teammates ever to do so in '02 before duplicating the feat in '03).

Katie Neff - who will begin her first year at Loyola Chicago Law School in the fall of '05 - helped Notre Dame lead the nation in blocks during the 2003 season.

Her 543 career kills include a career-best 21 to help upset 10th-ranked Pepperdine ('02) while her career-best 9 blocks vs. Utah ('03) contributed to her career total of 250.

Neff's eight Dean's List semesters at Notre Dame included a 4.0 in the 2002 spring semester en route to graduating in 2004 with a 3.69 cumulative GPA, as an American studies major. She was the volleyball team's representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, serving on the community service subcommittee, and also received a certificate for her participation in the athletic department's Leadership Institute. Neff also served internships at the South Bend Tribune and Notre Dame Magazine and was nominated for the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program.

A lifelong Notre Dame fan, Neff attended the same St. Louis-area high school (Cor Jesu Academy) as former Notre Dame All-America basketball standout Niele Ivey. Neff - whose father John played basketball at Alabama-Huntsville - combined to set 21 records in volleyball and basketball at Cor Jesu.