The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2026
- Class:
- 2016
An NCAA champion, three-time All-American and one of the most accomplished student-athletes in Texas Volleyball history, Khat Bell helped continue the Longhorns’ tradition of excellence during her career from 2011-14 before embarking on a successful professional career that has spanned more than a decade. The Mesquite, Texas native played a key role in Texas' 2012 NCAA Championship run and helped lead the Longhorns to NCAA semifinal appearances in 2013 and 2014 as well as four-straight Big 12 titles from 2011-14. During her four seasons on the Forty Acres, she helped lead the Horns to a 108-15 (.878) overall record that included a phenomenal 61-3 (.953) mark in Big 12 play. A four-year letterwinner, Bell earned AVCA All-America honors in each of her final three seasons, including second-team recognition in 2014 after earning honorable mention accolades in 2012 and 2013. She was a three-time First-Team All-Big 12 selection (2012-14) and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Team pick in 2011. She was tabbed COBRA Magazine National Defensive Player of the Year in 2012. Bell appeared in 108 matches and 372 sets during her Texas career and developed into one of the nation’s premier middle blockers and opposite hitters, finishing with 827 kills, a .297 hitting percentage, 320 digs and 436 total blocks. She currently ranks sixth in UT history in career block assists (400) and tied for eighth in blocks per set (1.17). Bell was a dominant presence at the net throughout her collegiate career, recording at least 100 blocks in each of her final three seasons. An ACL injury late in Bell’s freshman season sidelined her for the remainder of the year and she credits that adversity with sparking her to come back stronger for her sophomore campaign. That season her efforts proved instrumental in Texas capturing the 2012 NCAA Championship, a season when she played in all 31 matches and totaled 216 kills on a .325 hitting percentage while adding a career-high 142 total blocks. During her junior and senior seasons, Bell continued to elevate her game, earning AVCA All-America recognition both years while helping Texas advance to consecutive NCAA semifinals. Her performance in the 2013 NCAA Tournament included a season-high 10 blocks in the NCAA semifinal match against Wisconsin. Following her graduation with a degree in Applied Learning and Development in 2016, Bell launched a professional career that has taken her around the world, competing in five countries over the next decade, including Puerto Rico, South Korea, Turkey, China, and the Philippines. Her accolades include earning V-League Best Blocker honors in South Korea in 2016, being named Philippine Superliga Best Outside Spiker in 2019, leading her club to a 2023 V-League Championship while earning Finals MVP honors, and winning multiple professional league championships overseas. She returned to the United States to compete in the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation (now Major League Volleyball) in 2024 with the Vegas Thrill and also competed in Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball in 2024 and 2025. Most recently, Bell has helped establish League One Volleyball as a premier professional league in the United States, contributing to back-to-back championships with LOVB Austin in 2025 and 2026. She will continue her professional career with the expansion team LOVB Miami next season.