Kari Williams was the type of player every coach would want on their team, and two Gettysburg teams were fortunate to have her on their rosters. She was a superb scorer and rebounder for the Bullets’ basketball team in the winter, and followed in the spring as a steadfast defender for the women’s lacrosse team.
On the hardwood, the 5-9 Doylestown, Pa., native established herself as a consistent force in the Bullets frontcourt. She averaged 8.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game during her tenure and posted 15 career double-doubles. She finished as the school’s second-leading scorer behind classmate Martha Cave, and she was the school’s leading rebounder with 486 boards. Twice, Gettysburg made the conference postseason and the team went 14-3 against opposition from the MAC Southwest League.
In 1983, Williams led Gettysburg to unprecedented heights. The squad recorded its first winning season in a decade with a 15-6 record, finished first in the Southwest League of the MAC, and finished as the MAC Southern Division runner-up. Williams played an integral role in the finish, averaging 12.9 points per game and a team-high 9.7 rebounds per game.
Her impact on the lacrosse field came on the defensive end where she held down a starting spot from her freshman year on. During that time period, Gettysburg was one of the top defensive teams in the Middle Atlantic Conference, pacing the league in least goals allowed three times. The shining moment of her lacrosse career came in 1981. Gettysburg topped the MAC standings with a 6-0 record, including a 10-9 decision over arch-rival Franklin & Marshall. The Bullets finished third in the AIAW regional tournament to earn their first trip to the national tournament. After a setback to Wheaton in the opening round, the Orange & Blue won their next two contests to finish fifth in the nation. She was a catalyst during the run, scoring a goal against Wheaton and earning All-Championship Tournament accolades.
In four years of varsity lacrosse, she led the Bullets to 28 wins against just 17 losses. Most of those setbacks came at the hands of much larger Division I and Division II opponents, as Gettysburg lost to only two Division III opponents during her four-year tenure.
Williams graduated from Gettysburg with a B.A. in business in 1984 and joined the work force soon after as an accountant. She currently works as a certified public accountant and tax collector in her hometown of Doylestown where she resides with her two sons.
