University of Vermont Athletics

CAREER HONORS

• 120–81 (.597) record as Mayer Women's Basketball Head Coach
• Currently is tied for third all-time in wins as Women's Basketball Head Coach
• Two America East Championships (2022-23, 2024-25)
• April 1, 2024: Defeated Purdue in WNIT Great 8, for the program's first win since 2010 versus a Big Ten school 
• Nov. 4, 2024: Earned the program’s first-ever win over an SEC opponent with a victory against Missouri
• 2023-24: Earned a WNIT bid and made it to the Fab 4 
• 2023-24: America East Runner Up 
• 2022–23: Coached the Catamounts to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2009–10 season
• 2022–23: ECAC Division I Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year
• 2022–23: America East Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year

Alisa Kresge was named the ninth head coach in Vermont women’s basketball history on April 9, 2019, after successfully leading the Catamounts as interim head coach during the 2018–19 season.

Kresge guided Vermont to its fourth consecutive 20-win season with a 21–13 record in the 2024-25 season. The Catamounts opened the season with a 62–46 victory over Missouri, marking the program’s first-ever win against an SEC opponent. Vermont went on to defeat UAlbany 62–55 in the America East Championship to earn another NCAA Tournament berth, where they faced NC State.

Several Catamounts earned postseason honors that year, including First Team selection Anna Olson, Second Team honorees Catherine Gilwee and Nikola Priede, and senior Bella Vito, who was named to the America East Defensive Player Of Year.

The year prior, the Catamounts posted a 25-12 record, including winning marks both at home and on the road for the 2023-24 season. They finished 12–4 in America East play but fell to Maine in the America East Championship game. Vermont earned an at-large bid to the WNIT, where they defeated Niagara and Colgate before earning the program’s first win over a Big Ten opponent since 2010 with a victory over Purdue in the Great 8. The Catamounts advanced to the program’s first-ever Fab 4 appearance.

At the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, graduate student Emma Utterback earned All-Conference First Team honors, senior Anna Olson was named to the Second Team, and sophomore Keira Hanson earned Third Team recognition while also being named America East Sixth Player of the Year.

In 2022–23, Kresge’s fourth year as head coach, Vermont turned in one of its most successful seasons in program history. The Catamounts finished 25-7 overall, their most wins since 2009–10, and recorded a 17-game win streak. This is the longest win streak in Kresge’s tenure and the program’s best since 1992–93. Vermont claimed its first America East Championship since 2001–02 with a 38–36 victory over UAlbany, earning its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2009–10, where it faced No. 2 seed UConn in the first round.

Vermont recorded 15 wins at Patrick Gym and 12 America East victories, it’s most since 2009–10. The Catamounts ranked 10th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 54.1 points per game, 19th in three-point shooting percentage at 36.5%, and 17th in fewest fouls per game at 13.6. Vermont also ranked 32nd nationally in winning percentage at .781.

The first full season following the pandemic, the Catamounts went 20–11 overall and 13–5 in conference play during 2021-22. This was their best finish in more than a decade. Vermont’s season ended in the America East semifinals with a loss to UAlbany, who would go on to win the America East Title. That year, Kresge coached several All-Conference honorees, including Rookie of the Year Catherine Gilwee and First Team selection Emma Utterback, who was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

During the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Kresge guided Vermont to a 4–2 record, all in America East play, the program’s best six-game start of a season since the 2011-12 season. 

In the 2019-20 season, the Catamounts improved again, finishing 12-18 overall and posting a 9-6 record at Patrick Gym. The .600 winning percentage at home was the program’s best since the 2012-13 season. 

In Kresge’s very first season as a head coach, she guided Vermont to 11 wins and a fifth-place finish in America East. This was the program’s best mark since the 2009–10 season. Her 11 victories were the most by a first-year head coach since 2003–04.

Kresge earned a bachelor’s degree in digital media from Marist College in 2007. She spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater from 2009 to 2016, helping lead the Red Foxes to a 173–42 record, five straight MAAC Tournament titles from 2010–14, and five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Marist also reached the 2015 WNIT, advancing to face eventual semifinalist Temple.

During her tenure at Marist, Kresge recruited and developed 21 All-MAAC selections, including two All-Rookie Team members and 31 All-Academic honorees. She also coached five MAAC Tournament MVPs, four MAAC Players of the Year, two MAAC Defensive Players of the Year, one Sixth Player of the Year, and two MAAC Student-Athletes of the Year.

As a player, Kresge was a standout point guard at Marist from 2003–07. She graduated as the program’s all-time leader in assists (596) and ranked second in steals (222). She helped lead the Red Foxes to the 2007 NCAA Sweet 16, which was the first in MAAC history for either a men’s or women’s program. Kresge remains the only player in MAAC women’s basketball history to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors three times. She was named Third Team All-MAAC as a junior and Second Team All-MAAC as a senior.

*Interim Year

^UVM season shortened due to Covid-19