Heading Back to Michigan
Ten years ago, a junior from the University of Michigan gave Fairfield all it could handle in the first round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament. She posted a match-high 17 digs, added seven kills and two blocks in the 3-0 victory for the Wolverines. That player was Alija Pittenger.
Fast forward to the third weekend of
the 2009 season which 
sent Pittenger back to her alma mater. But, it was not for a
reunion or the Michigan-Notre Dame football game. Rather,
Pittenger returned as the head coach of the Fairfield volleyball
team as she and the Stags participated in the five-team Michigan
Challenge.
A chance meeting with Wolverines Head Coach Mark Rosen at a recruiting event got the ball rolling on Fairfield's trip to Michigan.
"Mark liked the idea of having an alumna come back as a coach, so when we ran into each other he asked if we would like to join the tournament," Pittenger recalled. "Also, since Fairfield has been a successful program, he thought it would be a good match."
In addition to the playing experience that the Stags would attain, Pittenger was able to share her collegiate experience with her student-athletes, showing them around Michigan's Central Campus and having team dinners at some of her favorite restaurants.
"It was definitely fun to be back at Michigan," Pittenger said, admitting that not much had changed since she graduated. "They have great fans and facilities which all makes for a fantastic environment."
In addition to Michigan, undefeated and ranked seventh nationally at the time, the Stags would also face very tough teams from Virginia Commonwealth, Morehead State, and Missouri. While, the results were not what the Stags had entirely hoped for, Coach Rosen offered some words of advice to his former player.
"Mark had some really great things to say about the team," Pittenger said. "He told us not to forget that we are a good team. And, that we need to keep pushing hard because we have the talent and we will eventually get the results we are looking for."
While Pittenger got a thrill out of being back out on the court she played on as student-athlete, it was more important to her that her players took something away from the trip.
"As a coach, you see the potential of your athletes and try to push them to be their best. But a lot of times the best motivation for the players comes from playing other great teams and seeing what the possibilities are," Pittenger said. "I think everyone did at least one thing that they were surprised by and it showed them that they are capable of doing a lot of things they may not have thought possible before."
Click
here to see how the team is doing as it prepares for another
run at the MAAC Championship.
