Xavier University Athletic Director Greg Christopher announced the hiring of Christy Pfeffenberger (Peff-IN-berger) as head volleyball coach in January of 2015.

In 2025, Pfeffenberger led Xavier to a historic record-breaking season, finishing with a program-best 26-5 record. The Musketeers posted an 11-1 record in non conference play to open the season before tying a program-record 14 BIG EAST wins, earning the program's first No. 2 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. XU made just their second all-time BIG EAST Championship match appearance after sweeping Villanova in the semifinals. The Musketeers received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, earning the No. 8 seed in the Pittsburgh region for the program's third all-time appearance. Pfeffenber earned 2025 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

Pfeffenberger coached the Xavier volleyball program to another record season in 2023 where the Musketeers collected a 18-12 record, a fourth place BIG EAST regular season finish and a second consecutive appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament. During the 2023 season, for the first time in program history, Xavier volleyball defeated Creighton, after 24 previous attempts that spanned 45 seasons. Ranked #11 in the country at the point of play, the victory over the Bluejays was the highest ranked win in program history and the first ranked win since 2007.

In 2022, Pfeffenberger and staff were recipients of the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year award. Pfeffenberger reached her 100th career win against Butler on October 2, 2022 and led the team to a 21-12 record, a third place BIG EAST regular season finish, a third place BIG EAST Tournament finish, and a trip to the NIVC Quarterfinals.

In ten seasons as head coach, Pfeffenberger has coached 16 players to All-BIG EAST honors - including 2015 BIG EAST Player of the Year, Abbey Bessler, 2021 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, Delaney Hogan and 2024 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, Margo Kemp.

Bessler was the first volleyball player of the year for the Musketeers since joining the conference in 2013. She earned AVCA All-East Region First Team honors in 2015, while also collecting AVCA All-American honors for the second time in her career.

In 2021, Carrigan O'Reilly earned AVCA All-East Region Team accolades in addition to her all-conference honors. Emma Grace earned AVCA All-Midwest Region Team honors and was a unanimous All-BIG EAST Team selection in 2025.

Pfeffenberger has compiled a 90-78 BIG EAST record in ten seasons with two second-place finishes in the regular-season standings. She has led the Musketeers to the four-team BIG EAST Tournament on three occasions and the six-team tournament in 2022 and 2023.

In the classroom, the Musketeers earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the sixth consecutive season for posting above a 3.30 team grade point average.

The Indianapolis, Ind., native was hired as Xavier's associate head coach in March of 2014 following a three-year stint as an assistant coach at Notre Dame. With the Fighting Irish, she helped mentor two AVCA All-Americans and three all-conference players, while recruiting the nation's No. 16 ranked recruiting class in 2014. She was previously on the Xavier staff from 2008-10.

All told, Pfeffenberger has 20 years of Division I coaching experience as either an assistant coach, associate head coach or head coach. She also had coaching stints at Dayton (2005) and Youngstown State (2006-07).

In seven of her 10 years as an assistant/associate head coach, she helped her teams capture winning seasons - including trips to the NCAA Tournament in both 2005 and 2012. Pfeffenberger also helped teams win 20 or more matches in a season on five occasions.

Pfeffenberger played collegiately at Dayton from 2000-04, where she participated in two NCAA Tournaments and was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2004. She was also tabbed an AVCA All-American in 2004 and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American Third Team.

THE PFEFFENBERGER FILE

School	Position/Title	Years
Xavier	Head Coach	2015-pres.
Xavier	Associate Head Coach	2014
Notre Dame	Assistant Coach	2011-14
Xavier	Associate Head Coach	2010
Xavier	Assistant Coach	2008-10
Youngstown State	Assistant Coach	2006-08
Dayton	Assistant Coach	2005

HEAD COACHING RECORDS

Year	Overall	BIG EAST
2025	26-5	14-2/2nd
2024	10-18	8-10/7th
2023	18-12	11-7/4th
2022	21-12	11-7/3rd
2021 (f)	11-18	6-12/t-7
2021 (s)	7-7	3-3/3rd (Midwest)
2019	11-17	8-10/6th
2018	10-19	8-10/6th
2017	13-19	8-10/6th
2016	20-13	13-5/t-2nd
2015	18-12	14-4/t-2nd
Totals	139-147 (.486)	90-78 (.536)

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Playing Experience: Dayton, 2000-04
Education: Bachelor's degree in education from Dayton, '04 | Master's degree is sports administration from Xavier, `12
Family: Husband: Nick | Daughters: Caroline and Lexi | Son: Casey

Name	Title	Email Address	Phone
Christy Pfeffenberger	Head Coach	utnagec@xavier.edu	513.745.3137
Lainey Stephenson	Assistant Coach	stephensonl4@xavier.edu	513.745.3198
Ben Rosenow	Graduate Assistant Coach	rosenowb@xavier.edu

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