Kate (Miller) Kress graduated from Forest Park High School in 2001, winning a Class 1A Indiana State Softball championship while being named the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award winner as a senior. She also led the Lady Rangers basketball team to a runner-up finish at the state championship, while also leading her volleyball team as an all-conference selection.

During her time as a Mighty Oak, she earned NCCAA All-American honors in both basketball and volleyball, the only OCU player to be named to the All-American team in both sports. As a junior in the 2003-04 season, she was a team captain, being named to the NCCAA All-Mideast region team while earning the OCU Best Defensive Player award, finishing the season with a fourth-place finish in the NCCAA National Tournament. During her senior basketball season, she was named team MVP, Homecoming Queen, and was an NCCAA All-American Honorable Mention team selection. 

In volleyball, she was named OCU Most Improved Player as a sophomore while also receiving the team's hitting award. As a junior, she was named to the NCCAA All-Region team, followed by her senior season where the team made an appearance in the NCCAA National Championship tournament where she was named a NCCAA First-Team All-American.