Sarah Tischler is set to begin her first season as the director of operations for Penn State women's volleyball in 2025. She comes to Happy Valley after spending the past three seasons in the same role at Alabama.
Tischler brings a wealth of volleyball knowledge to Penn State as a player, coach, and member of the support staff. Her three seasons in Tuscaloosa coincided with the beginning of a new coaching staff as she helped transition the program into a new era in her role as the director of operations. She took on the new role after honing her coaching skills as an assistant for three seasons at the Division I and II levels.
Tischler’s first collegiate coaching experience came at her alma mater, Illinois Springfield. She spent two seasons with the Prairie Stars, helping the team go 44-22 during that time. The 2018 season still stands as the best in program history since joining the NCAA in 2010. The Prairie Stars finished 25-8 overall, won their first GLVC regular season title, and advanced to NCAA Tournament for the first time.
Following her time at Illinois Springfield, Tischler went on to Drake, where she spent one season as an assistant coach. She left that position to join the Crimson Tide as the director of operations.
Tischler has two degrees from the University of Illinois, Springfield. She earned a bachelor’s degree in visual arts in 2017 and then added a master’s in communications in 2020. Tischler played four seasons of collegiate volleyball, including one at UW-Oshkosh and the final three with the Prairie Stars, and earned the team’s Coaches Award following her senior year. In addition to her time in Springfield, she assisted with the Sports Performance Volleyball Club in Aurora, Illinois for five seasons, hosting high-level training camps across the country.
