Volleyball

Alija Pittenger
	Title: Head Coach Email: apittenger@fairfield.edu Phone: 203-254-4000 ext. 2362 Class: Second Season

Alija Pittenger enters her second season as the head coach of the Fairfield University volleyball program.

During her first season at the helm, she guided the Stags to a 20-13 overall record, a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Regular Season Championship, and an apperance in the MAAC Championship Final.

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 appearances. 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 letterwinner 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.

Sarah Grella
	Title: Assistant Coach Email: sgrella@fairfield.edu Phone: 203-254-4000 ext. 2366 Class: Second Season

Sarah Katinger Grella begins her second season as an assistant coach at Fairfield. Grella, a native of Stratford, comes to Stags with coaching experience at both the youth and collegiate level.

She spent time as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Providence College, and most recently at Sacred Heart University. She also served as the head coach of the Connecticut
Juniors 17club program.

Grella was a four-year starter at Providence. As an outside hitter with the Friars, she earned Big East All-Rookie honors in 1998 and was a two-time All-Big East selection. She graduated with six program records to her credit. She graduated in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in history.

At Bunnell High School,she led the team to two Connecticut state championship games and was a four-time all-conference and three-time all-state selection. She was named Connecticut's Gatorade Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997 and New England's Gatorade Player of the Year in 1997. She holds six school records and is ranked in the National High School Record Book in four categories. She was inducted into the Bunnell High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 and to the Connecticut Women's Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2006.