Stephanie Burner enters her first season as the head coach of the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team in 2008. She joins the program after a successful tenure at the Univeristy of North Alabama as an assistant coach.
Burner inherits a team that posted a 35-4 overall record last season, including a perfect 10-0 mark in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play. In 2007, the Vulcans set a school record with a 33-match win streak that featured a PSAC title and NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship. Cal U advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual-national champion Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.).
Despite being in her first season with the Vulcan program, Burner is quite familiar with the PSAC as she was a four-year starter at divisional-rival Edinboro University (1999-2002). During her playing career, the Fighting Scots posted an 87-41 overall record (.680) and earned four NCAA Tournament berths, including an Elite Eight appearance during her senior season.
A native of Pittsburgh, Burner started her coaching career at Bellwood Antis High School and led the team to two-straight Mountain Conference titles and a 41-6 record in two seasons. The Blue Devils also advanced to the PIAA state playoffs for the first time in school history in 2004 before repeating the feat in 2005.
The following year, Burner accepted an assistant coaching position with North Alabama and helped guide the Lions to an appearance in the National Championship Match against the top-ranked University of Tampa. After starting the season 7-5, UNA mounted a 28-match win streak to advance to the title game after winning the Gulf South Conference and South Central Regional Tournament.
Burner served as the Lions’ recruiting coordinator and worked with the team’s defensive players and outside hitters.
During her collegiate career, Burner was a record-setting outside hitter while playing for Edinboro. She helped the Fighting Scots post three 20-win seasons and advance to the PSAC Championship Match four-consecutive years.
During her junior season, she established a new school record for digs with 565 and was named a second-team All-American by Daktronics as Edinboro won its second PSAC Tournament title in four years.
As a senior captain, Burner broke her own school record by recording 568 digs to help the Fighting Scots advance to the Elite Eight and post a 26-9 overall record. She earned All-PSAC West First Team and All-Atlantic Region honors after finishing her career with the then-school record 1,707 career digs.
The Upper St. Clair High School graduate now ranks second in Edinboro history in career digs. She also is among the school’s all-time leaders in kills (921), total attacks (2,658) and games played (455),
BURNER YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RECORD
| Year |
Overall
Record |
Win Pct. |
Conference
Record (Finish) |
Post-Season |
Final Rank |
| 2008 |
40-2 |
.952 |
12-0 (1st)
|
PSAC Tournament
NCAA Quarterfinals |
No. 12 AVCA |
TOTALS
|
40-2
|
.952
|
12-0 (1.000)
|
|
|
