Southern Connecticut State University Athletics

The daily effort of coaching a collegiate program can be time consuming and responsibility filled. However, as the head coach of the Southern Connecticut State University volleyball and softball programs for 10 years, Lisa Barbaro took both teams to new heights. To date, Barbaro is the only Southern Connecticut coach in school history with 250 wins while coaching two different sports and is the all-time leader in coaching victories with 608 through the 2023 season. Entering the 2014-15 academic year, Barbaro turned her focus solely on her head coaching duties with the volleyball squad after a highly successful run as head coach of the softball team.

The 2024 season was Barbaro's 21st as the Owls' head volleyball coach, included the canceled 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Barbaro's career features NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017, 2018 and 2021 with the Owls capturing the 2018 Northeast-10 Conference Championship or the first time in program history. Barbaro's program has reached 20 wins in a season six times while the 2009 team won a program record 25 games. Barbaro has also featured 30 student-athletes earn All-NE10 honors and 11 All-Region honorees.

In 2018, Southern Connecticut reached several milestones. The Owls finished the year with a record of 21-14, won their first conference team after capturing the 2018 NE10 Tournament Championship with wins against Southern New Hampshire, Saint Anselm and AIC in the title match, while also advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. Southern Connecticut capped the 2017 season with a 24-11 record. Leanna Jadus was tabbed as the NE10 Player of the Year and went on to earn All-Region, All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-America honors from the AVCA. Alyssa Gage also received All-Region and First-Team All-Conference honors. The Owls went on to secure bids in the NE10 Championship Tournament in six-straight seasons (2017 through 2022). 

Southern also continued to excel in the classroom, capturing six-straight AVCA Team Academic Awards (2015 through 2021) and was Southern Connecticut's Academic Team of Championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018. 

The Owls posted a 15-win season in 2016. At that point, it marked the seventh time in her tenure that the Owls won at least 15 games in a season. Prior to her arrival as head coach, the Owls had only posted six such seasons in program history. Her team also thrived again academically, as it won the SCSU Academic Team of Champions Award and was also recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association with its Team Academic Award.

The volleyball squad finished with seven wins in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The 2015 campaign was highlighted by a victory over rival New Haven at Pelz Gymnasium. In addition, that year's squad was also recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association with its Team Academic Award. On the individual front, senior captain Kelly Gunneson was selected as a recipient of the prestigious Barnard Award, which is issued to just four SCSU students annually.

The volleyball squad posted its sixth consecutive winning season during the 2013 season and closed the year with 17 wins. SCSU also narrowly missed out on a bid to the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament. Meanwhile, the softball team finished with a winning record in 2014 after a run of six straight NCAA Tournament appearances and seven in eight years.
 
In 2012, the volleyball team reached the 24-win mark for the third time in the past five years and just missed out on an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament field. Southern did qualify for the Northeast-10 Tournament for the third time in four years and recorded a quarterfinal round victory in its first-ever home league tournament game.

In 2012, the softball squad notched a 43-win season that was punctuated by a trip to the College World Series and a No. 6 final national ranking. The 2011 volleyball squad also recorded 19 wins, including its second trip to the Northeast-10 Tournament in three years.

In 2009, Barbaro led the Owls to their highest win total (26) in nearly 30 years. With their successful campaign, the Owls also qualified for the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament for the first time. Furthermore, Southern wasted little time making an impact in the tournament, ousting the No. 1 seed, New Haven, in the quarterfinals.

At the end of the season, four Owls earned post-season accolades as well. Two members of the squad earned Northeast-10 Conference honors, while two more were named to the COSIDA Academic All-District Team.

In 2008, the club enjoyed its best season in more than a quarter century. Barbaro and the Owls concluded the year with a 24-15 overall mark.

The 24 wins were the most in a season since 1980, when that year’s squad won 33 matches. The Owls also finished with a .500 mark in the Northeast-10 Conference, their best figure since joining the league. Following the year, junior Jenna Tammel also earned All-Conference laurels, while freshman Leah Filonuk was named to the All-Rookie Team.

Southern Connecticut jumped out to a quick start and finished with an 11-win season in 2007. In 2006, Barbaro led a club without any seniors to a 10-win campaign. Following the year, Nekane Mendizabal was selected to the All-Northeast-10 Conference team.

Over the course of the past 10 seasons, the volleyball squad has amassed more than 170 selections to the Northeast-10 Conference Commissioners Honor Roll.

The Owls’ softball squad also blossomed into a national contender under Barbaro. In all, SCSU made seven trips to the NCAA Tournament during Barbaro’s tenure, including three appearances in the Regional Final. Barbaro posted a 307-184-3 (.625) mark over her 10 seasons.

In 2012, the Owls won 43 contests, including a win over St. Joseph’s (Ind.) in Southern’s first-ever game at the College World Series. Barbaro was named the Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, while two student-athletes were selected as All-Americans.

The Owls also enjoyed a record-setting season in 2011. SCSU  also reached the NCAA Regional Final for the second straight year.

However, the Owls also made history when they captured their second straight Northeast-10 Conference Tournament title. Due to inclement weather throughout the weekend, SCSU had to win four games on the tournament’s final day to take home the title in dramatic fashion.

As a result, the Owls received votes in the final NFCA poll of 2011.

On the individual front, the Owls had four All-Conference selections, three All-ECAC honorees, two All-Region picks and one All-American.

The 2010 season was the finest in Southern Connecticut softball history at the time. The Owls won a program-record 42 contests, captured their first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Tournament title and reached the NCAA Regional finals. Along the way, Barbaro guided the Owls to their first NCAA victories in school history. Seven student-athletes collected All-Conference honors, with five earning All-Region laurels. Southern Connecticut also set 34 new program single-season records - 17 team and 17 individual figures - during the course of the year.

The Owls closed the 2009 season with 33 wins and earned trips to the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Final and the NCAA Tournament. In addition, three players collected All-Northeast-10 and Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region honors.

Barbaro also led the Owls to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 after posting a 32-win season. Four players earned All-Northeast 10 honors, including the Freshman of the Year, Megan Caporossi. In addition, two players were named to the All-Northeast Region squad.

The softball team also excelled academically with three Northeast-10 Softball All-Academic Team picks and two Northeast-10 Conference Commissioners Honor Roll selections.

The Owls had almost 20 selections to the Northeast-10 Softball All-Academic Team and nearly 100 selections to the Northeast-10 Conference Commissioners Honor Roll under Barbaro’s watch.

Barbaro was a member of the Owls’ volleyball program for two years (2000-01) and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

After graduation, Barbaro coached volleyball at Branford High, helping the Hornets to a 34-12 record over two seasons and consecutive Southern Connecticut Conference Hammonassett Division championships.

In 2003, Branford had a 21-4 record and advanced to the state semifinals for the first time in 13 seasons.

As a scholastic athlete at The Morgan School in Clinton, Conn., Barbaro played volleyball, basketball and softball on six state championship teams, including titles in all three sports in 1995-96.

She was a First-Team All-Conference selection in all three sports and earned All-State recognition in the three sports. Barbaro is a former two-time New Haven Register Athlete of the Year.

Barbaro was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame in the high school player category on November 17, 2005.  In 2012, she was selected as the NFCA Softball East Regional Coaching Staff of the Year. In 2017, she was inducted in the New Haven Tap-Off Club Hall of Fame and in 2022 she was inducted into the Clinton (Conn.) Athletic Hall of Fame. 

She currently resides in Branford, Conn.