Kari Peterson was appointed interim head coach of the Fighting Sioux on July 29, 2008, after serving the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at UND.
A former NCAA Division II National Player of the Year, Peterson possesses a diverse coaching background. In 2006, her first season on the UND staff, Peterson helped lead the Sioux to a 15-11 overall record and a 6-6 North Central Conference, a two-win improvement in each category from the previous season and the team's best record in each since 2003.
Prior to arriving at UND, Peterson spent the 2005 season as head coach of NAIA Valley City State (N.D.) and guided the Vikings to a 10-15 overall mark and a 7-7 showing in the DAC-10. Those seven conference wins were more than VCSU had won over the previous four seasons combined.
Peterson has also enjoyed stints as an assistant coach at North Alabama (2004), Texas A&M-Kingsville (2003) and Minnesota State University Moorhead (2002).
While at UNA, Peterson served as the top assistant coach for the perennial Division II powerhouse and helped lead the defending national champion Lions to a 24-7 overall record, a top-five national ranking, a Gulf South Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Division II tournament.
Peterson also helped coach four All-Gulf South Conference East selections, one GSCE Player of the Year, four All-South Central Region selections and the program's second AVCA honorable mention All-American.
Peterson enjoyed a distinguished playing career as a setter at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., from 1997-2001. She was named the national player of the year in 2000 after leading the Vikings to a national runner-up finish.
During her four years as a player, Peterson was a two-time AVCA and Daktronics Division II All-American and was part of three North Central Conference championship and NCAA Division II Regional playoff teams (1997, 1999, 2000). She earned NCC Freshman of the Year honors in 1998 as well as first team All-NCC honors in both 2000 and 2001.
Peterson graduated as Augustana’s all-time digs leader (1,563) and ranked second on the all-time set assists list with 5,797.
A native of Moorhead, Minn., Peterson received her bachelor’s degree in education from Augustana in 2002.
