Volleyball Coaching Staff
Head Coach Phil Pisano
Phil Pisano is in his fifth year
as head coach of the Behrend Lions volleyball program.
Since Pisano’s arrival, the
Behrend Lions are 90-39 overall with a stellar 33-3 mark in the AMCC. During that time, 11 career
or single-season records have been set and the blue and white have earned 18
selections to the all-conference team and 24 academic all-conference honors. Pisano has also been named AMCC
Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
In 2007 the blue and white finished with an 18-12 overall record and
advanced to the AMCC semifinals. The team earned a share of the AMCC
regular season title with an 8-1 conference record.
His 2006 squad set a school record for wins, and captured a second straight
AMCC regular season title with an overall mark of 29-4. The blue and white
earned an ECAC bid and reached the tournament championship match, along the
way earning the first postseason wins ever for the program.
In 2005 the blue and white captured the AMCC Championship and reached the
NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. Behrend finished with a record of
26-8, including an impressive 9-0 mark in AMCC competition.
In 2003 Pisano served as an assistant coach with the Behrend Lions. In addition, he coached at Slippery Rock as an assistant to the women's volleyball coach from 1998-2003. He was also the coach and president of the SRU men's volleyball club team for three years while earning his undergraduate degree in marketing from the Rock.
Pisano
completed his MBA from Behrend in 2005. In addition to his coaching duties,
he serves as a lecturer in the health and physical education department and
works as an assistant in the sports information office.
E-mail Head
Coach Phil Pisano:
pap174@psu.edu
Assistant Coach Gerry Vensel
Gerry Vensel
is in her fifth season as a member of the Behrend Lions
volleyball staff.
Vensel brings a wealth of collegiate coaching experience to the Behrend Lions program. Since 1987 she has directed the State Champs Volleyball Camps, and previously spent nine years as the head coach of the Gannon Golden Knights. While guiding the Gannon program she led the team to an impressive 271-61 record, three NCAA regional championships and three Elite Eight appearances. She has continued working with high school and college programs since her stint at Gannon. Vensel, a three-time Coach of the Year, was also inducted into the Edinboro University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Vensel earned
an undergraduate degree from Edinboro and MBA from
Gannon.
Assistant Coach Paige Payer
Paige
Payer joins the Behrend coaching staff for her first season in 2008.
Payer returns to the blue and white after a highly productive
playing career for the team from 2003-2006. She was a three year
starter and important team leader for coach Pisano’s squad as a
right side hitter. Payer was a big contributor on the 2005 AMCC
Championship and NCAA Tournament squad as well as the 2006 team that
reached the ECAC Championship Match. Payer played in 305 games
during her career and posted 303 kills and 130 total blocks while
being named to the AMCC academic all-conference team.
Payer was the John Zahniser Scholar Athlete Award winner for Behrend
athletics after the 2006-2007 year. She graduated from Behrend in
2006 with a degree in communications and is now working toward her
Master’s in Education at Mercyhurst College.
Assistant Coach Karla Murray
Karla
Murray is in her second season as a member of the Behrend Lions
volleyball staff.
Murray is no stranger to the Behrend volleyball program, as she
wrapped up a stellar playing career for the blue and white in 2006.
Murray was a three-year starter for coach Pisano, and a team captain
the past two seasons. She was an academic all-conference selection
and also named to the All-AMCC team in 2006. Her 1,315 digs rank
sixth all-time at Behrend. Murray helped lead the squad to its
first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005 and its first ever
postseason victories in 2006 at the ECAC Tournament.
Murray
graduated in 2007 with a degree in marketing and completed her MBA
at Behrend this past summer.