Former All-Region setter Mary Kate Boland '01 returned to Franklin & Marshall College in the fall of 2003 as the 10th head coach in Diplomats' volleyball history and has had a dramatic impact on the program.  In nine seasons, she has amassed 171 victories, ranking second on the all-time list at F&M, including a 2010 Centennial Conference (CC) Championship, the fifth in school history.

Under Boland, the Diplomats have recorded 20 or more victories five times, and have had a trio of All-Americans come through the program, in Margot Phelan (2006), Nicole Morano (2009) and reigning CC Player of the Year Julie Harvey (2011).

A 1998-2000 American Volleyball Coaches Association All Mid-Atlantic Region player, she averaged 10.19 assists per game to lead the Diplomats to a school record 34-6 mark, a perfect 10-0 conference record, the Centennial Conference Tournament title and a "Sweet 16" finish in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament as a senior.

During her playing career, she led F&M to the 1999 and 2000 Centennial Conference Championships and four consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances while recording a 120-32 record from 1997-2000, the best four-year mark in program history.

A 2000 and 1999 first and 1998 second team All-Centennial Conference setter, Boland is ranked among the top-10 in program history in digs (fourth, 1414), service aces (second, 238), blocks (ninth, 158) and assists (first, 4012). In addition, she is ranked 14th in career kills with 702. She is one of just two players in program history to rank in the top-10 in five statistical categories at graduation.

Co-captain of the Diplomats in 2000, Boland holds school assists records for a game (23, vs. Roberts Wesleyan, 10/27/00), a season (1309 in 1999), a career (4012) a four-game match (63, vs. Pomona Pitzer, 9/15/00) and a five-game match (75, vs. Grove City, 10/3/98). Her 4012 career assists ranks sixth in Centennial Conference history.

The daughter of Villa Maria Academy head volleyball coach Joe Boland, she led Villa Maria to the 1996 PIAA District I and State Championships at setter to earn Daily Local News Player of the Year honors.

In addition, Villa Maria earned three consecutive District I championships (1994-1996) as Boland was named to the PIAA All-State Volleyball Team in 1995 and 1996.

From 2001 until her appointment at the College, she served as an assistant coach at Villa Maria working with the setters and drafting scouting reports on opponents. In 2002, Villa Maria won the PIAA District I and State Championships.

A native of Wayne, Pennsylvania, Boland graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in the spring of 2001 with a degree in Business Administration.