Amanda Mullen

Education: 

• Graduated Magna Cum Lade with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education and a Minor in Child Development and Family Relation Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• Seneca Valley 2004 Graduate

Experience: 

Coach Amanda’s personal experience dates back to her days in middle school when all she wanted to be was a setter. She wanted to be the “quarterback” and involved in every play. Her coaches however saw her height and flexibility on the net to transition well and the Middle Blocker was made! From Seneca Valley, to participating and playing club volleyball for Penn Juniors which later merged to Renaissance, Amanda found a love and passion for the game that was undeniable. She made all section teams for her sophomore, junior and senior years and was captain of her Seneca Valley team for her Junior and Senior seasons. Beyond high school, Amanda played at Indiana University of Pennsylvania until a significant knee injury sidelined her from the game and she began her long journey and commitment to the sport in COACHING. 

Even though Amanda only ever played one position for her entire career, her love of teaching is what made her a coach. She loved learning all positions and attentively listened to everything all her coaches had to say when they were training her teammates whether it was at club or school. 

Her first coaching experience was her senior year of high school. For her senior project she chose to coach the Seneca Valley boys 7th grade team. 

After graduating from IUP, Amanda landed a long term sub position at NA and got right back into coaching for North Allegheny’s 7th grade team, in addition to coaching the Allegheny North 14 Club team simultaneously.  From there she coached the Moon Junior Varsity team and for Pitt Elite Volleyball Association. After seeing the results she could produce, and frustrated with the “big club” experience, Amanda took a leap of faith in herself to start her own club and Pitt United was born! That season started with 36 players and one team at 14s, 15s, 16s, & 17s. During the early years of Pitt United, Amanda coached JV at Chartiers Valley, then moved to the head coach of North Hills for two seasons. Following North Hills, Amanda then transitioned to the head coach for Shaler for 3 years. 

Her passion has been and will always be however with club volleyball. Whether it was as a player or coach, there was always something about club ball that made Amanda’s life happier and complete! She continues to love her job as club director and finds comfort in knowing she works for the girls and their families in providing them the best club experience in the Pittsburgh region. 

Bio: Outside of volleyball, Amanda is a middle  school teacher at Moon Area School District. She teaches 6th, 7th and 8th grade Family and Consumer Sciences in addition to FCS for learning support and special needs children. From cooking, sewing, child development to money management and career exploration- she does it all and working with children is her passion!

Beyond the classroom Amanda loves spending time with her husband Ryan, her two children Levi and Delaney, and their two pups, Molleigh and Bucco in their Cranberry Township home. She enjoys vacationing and exploring new places and loves fine dining as much as she loves a dive bar with a great bar food! She loves singing in the car, shopping for others, doing home renovation projects and relaxing in the sun, reading a book with a cold beverage in hand. 

Favorite Volleyball Memory: There are so many. She said she honestly can’t just pick one, but feels these are note worthy:

As a player: At 16U winning the NEQ in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor with her Penn Juniors team. A mom of one of her teammates promised at the start of the tournament that if they win it, her teammate could get a puppy. After winning the tournament, the mother kept her word, and her teammate named her puppy Wyndham after the hotel they stayed in!

As a coach: Her 2019 17U team made it to the finals 7 of the 8 tournaments they participated in and won 5 tournaments that season. (MLK, Presidents Day Cup, May Madness just to name a few!) She attests this success to not just the athleticism of the team, but the girls faith and trust in each other and her as their coach. She will forever be grateful for this group of girls and showing her that she was meant to do this job as club director and meant to provide the Pitt United experience to young and enthusiastic hopefuls who have a “work hard – play hard” mentality!