Women's National Team Athletic Trainer
Kara Kessans is the head physical therapist and athletic trainer for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
Kessans has a doctorate in physical therapy and is a Sports Certified Specialist (SCS). She is also a Certified Athletic Trainer and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists® (CSCS®).
Kessans joined USA Volleyball in 2017 after working in collegiate sports at Purdue University for 11 years. At USA Volleyball, she works to safeguard the health and well-being of each athlete year round. Her primary focus is prevention and treatment of injury. she facilitates overall medical management of the athletes as a part of a multidisciplinary team of medical and training professionals. Her work extends past the USA Volleyball season into the athletes’ professional seasons.
Her work has ensured a healthy and competitive roster that has consistently reached the podium during her tenure including: FIVB Volleyball Nations League gold medals in 2018 and 2019, World Cup silver medalist 2019, and qualification for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Kessans has a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance from the University of Louisville, where she was a student-athlete on the women’s basketball team, and a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Southern California. She has extensive experience treating high level athletes across sports including collegiate football, track and field/cross country, and swimming and diving.
She spent five years with Purdue women’s volleyball before coming to USAV, working with a number of athletes who furthered their career professionally as well as making their respective sports’ Olympic rosters.
She enjoys the outdoors and spending time with family and friends. She resides in the Orange County, Calif., area.