Pitt volleyball coach Dan Fisher to lead U.S. women's U20 national training team

After guiding the Pitt women’s volleyball team to the NCAA regional finals this spring, Dan Fisher will offer his coaching talents to more of the top players in the country.

He was tabbed to lead the 2021 U.S. women’s U20 national training team later this month.

“Representing the United States is the highest honor in our sport for both coaches and athletes,” Fisher said in a news release. “It is especially meaningful this year after not being able to compete in 2020. Our team is both experienced and talented. With this in mind we expect a spirited training block and competitive showing in Europe.”

The U.S. training team will produce a 12-player roster that will compete in the FIVB U20 world championship July 9-18, in the Netherlands and Belgium. The team will hold a training camp June 28-July 8, at UNLV in Las Vegas, before the competition team is selected.

Last year, Fisher also was selected to coach the U20 training team last May at the NORCECA Continental Championship in Edmonton, Canada, but the event was canceled because of the covid pandemic. A training period last July also was canceled.

Fisher has coached multiple national programs over the course of his career. In 2019, he coached Pitt senior outside hitter Kayla Lund as part of the U.S. Collegiate National Team-Anaheim program.

As head coach of the 2015 U.S Women’s National Team, Fisher led the squad to a gold medal at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Ontario, for the first time since 1967. The following year, he coached the team to a bronze-medal finish at the Pan American Cup in the Dominican Republic.

Fisher was an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for Team USA at the Pan American Cup in 2012, helping guide the team to a gold medal finish. On the men’s volleyball side, he was an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2007 World University Games in Thailand.