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2 2011 Stags Volleyball
Meet theCoaches
T
he 2012 campaign marks Alija Pittenger’s fifth season as the head coach of
the Fairfield University volleyball program.
Named the 2011 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Coach of the
Year, Pittenger led the Stags to a 20-10 overall record, a 16-2 league mark, and
a spot in the MAAC Championship final. Pittenger also coached the 2011 MAAC
Setter of the Year, Rachel Romansky, and the MAAC Rookie of the Year, Caitlin
Stapleton.
During her first season at the helm in 2008, Pittenger guided the Stags to a
20-13 overall record, a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Regular
Season Championship, and an appearance in the MAAC Championship Final.
She followed that up by leading the Stags to a MAAC Regular Season
Championship and a 19-12 record in 2009.
Pittenger came to Fairfield after spending five seasons as an assistant coach
at the University of Pittsburgh. During her stint with the Panthers, she helped
guide them to a Big East title and to two-consecutive NCAA Tournament appear-
ances. In 2006, she coached three Panthers to All-Big East honors in addition
to a Big East Libero of the Year award and an AVCA All-America honoree.
Prior to Pitt, she spent 2002 at Southern Indiana, where she helped the
Screaming Eagles to a conference title, a berth in the NCAA Division II
Tournament, and a first round victory. Pittenger also was an undergraduate
assistant coach at Michigan, her alma mater, in 2001.
As a collegiate player with the Wolverines, Pittenger was a four-time letterwin-
ner as an outside hitter and setter. She helped Michigan to its first top-25
national ranking in 2000 and to three NCAA Championship Tournaments in
1997, 1999, and 2000. Pittenger finished her senior year as the team leader in
digs and was second on the Wolverines in kills.
She graduated from Michigan in December 2001 with a bachelor's degree in
movement science.
Alija Pittenger
Head Coach – Fifth Season
The 2011 MAAC Coach of the Year looks to continue the Stags upward trend
The Pittenger File
Education
University of Michigan
2001
Bachelor’s degree in Movement Science
Coaching Career
University of Pittsburgh
2003-08
Assistant Coach
University of Southern Indiana
2002
Assistant Coach
University of Michigan
2001
Undergraduate Assistant
Playing Career
University of Michigan
1997-2000
Honors & Accomplishments
2011 MAAC Coach of the Year
Three NCAA Championship appearances at Michigan
Helped Michigan to first top-25 national ranking
Four varsity letters as a setter and outside hitter
Three-time Academic All-Big Ten
Three-time Scholar-Athlete
Top-ten on Michigan’s career digs chart (1,031)