California University of Pennsylvania Athletics

Although only playing at California University for two seasons, she scored 759 points and pulled down 550 rebounds.

When Lisa Zitalone-Olson transferred to Cal from Clarion University, she quickly became a multi-sport star and led the Lady Vulcans to their first ever post-season appearance in history for basketball and to the 1982 Penwood West Conference title for volleyball.

Olson now joins her high school and college teammate Lisa Scott-Gray in Cal’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Playing two sports was nothing new for Olson. While attending Butler High School, she played both volleyball and basketball from 1974-1978. She was a star athlete and received MVP honors in 1978 for both sports.

In basketball, Olson became the leading scorer in Butler history at that time. She was the first athlete at Butler - male or female - to score 1,000 points.

Olson received the Best Defensive Play and Sportsmanship awards while leading the team in rebounds. She was also named to the first team all-WPIAL.

During her senior Olson played in the Colt-Classic. She has already been inducted into her high school Hall of Fame.

Olson first decided to go to Clarion to continue her education and athletics. However, things didn’t work out for her there.

“I remember that I was playing basketball and volleyball up there and going to school, but I wasn’t really happy at Clarion. I couldn’t even really pinpoint what it was. I had seen California, the women’s basketball team, in a tournament, and I had a good friend, Lisa Scott, who was on the California team. We talked and she convinced me to come. So, I transferred and then found out how nice everybody was, how the program was good and how I could help,” Olson said.

Olson played volleyball and basketball for California from 1980 to 1982.

In her first basketball season at Cal, Olson averaged 14.5 points and 10.6 rebounds a game. Just like high school, she received MVP honors from both teams in 1982. Also in 1982, she led the Lady Vulcan basketball team in both scoring and rebounding with 13.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

Olson graduated from Cal with a degree in early childhood education in 1983. She then pursued a master’s degree and in 1988 graduated with a reading specialist degree. Her ties to California athletics remained after graduation.

Olson served as Cal’s head volleyball coach for four years and was an assistant women’s basketball coach for five. Olson went on to become the head girl’s basketball coach at Brownsville High School but currently isn’t coaching anywhere, which she says she misses.

Now, Olson works with Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services in Uniontown. She works as a children’s therapist at the STEP program which is located in Hiller Elementary School in Brownsville.

Olson was surprised, but appreciative, when she found out that she had been inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the fourth class.

“The first thing that went through my mind when I found out that I was getting inducted into the Hall of Fame was that I was getting old, but I was thrilled. Being an athlete who played two sports, that was what really made me feel good. I wasn’t really particularly great in one or the other, but I had the ability to do both,” Olson said.

Lisa Zitalone-Olson was a two-year starter on both the women's basketball and volleyball teams after transferring to Clarion. In two years at Cal (1981 and 1982), Olson compiled 759 points and 550 rebounds. She averaged 14.5 points and 10.6 rebounds in 1980-81 and 13.7 points and 9.9 rebounds in 1981-82 as she led Cal to a 18-12 overall record and an appearance in the EAIAW Playoffs which was Cal's first post-season appearance in history.

Olson was also a standout volleyball player for two years and led Cal to the 1982 Pennwood West Conference title. Consistent and durable, Olson was Cal's first 1,000-point career scorer in collegiate women's basketball and led the 1981-82 Vulcan women in rebounding and scoring. She was also considered the top player on Cal's 1982 Pennwood West champion volleyball team.

Originally from Butler, PA, and a 1978 graduate of Butler High School where she enjoyed a record-setting basketball career, Olson earned her B.S. in early childhood education from Cal U in 1983 and received her M.Ed. as a reading specialist in 1988. Olson later served as Cal U's head volleyball coach and assistant women's basketball coach in the late 1980's and also coached basketball at Brownsville High School. She now works for Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services in Uniontown, PA, and is also a children's therapist at the STEP program at Hiller Elementary School in Brownsville as well as an assistant volleyball coach at Jefferson Morgan High School. Olson and her husband, Jim, reside in Rice's Landing, PA, with their three daughters - twins Sarah and Lindsay, and Morgan.