Mercy College Director of Athletics Patricia Kennedy named Mike Fazio the head coach for the Mavericks’ softball program prior to the 2011 season after he served two seasons as an assistant coach.

“Mike Fazio certainly is the right person to lead this program into the future,” Kennedy said. “He knows the game, knows our student-athletes and provides continuity for the program.”

Fazio took charge of the team following a 19-win season in 2010 that was the best since 1985 and included eight East Coast Conference victories, and promptly improved on those totals with an impressive 21-23 season with a 14-14 mark in ECC play.  The team qualified in fourth for the ECC Championship, advancing to Game Five of the double-elimination tournament before bowing out to Dowling College, which the Mavericks had already beaten in Game Two.

Fazio came to Mercy with over 25 years of softball coaching experience. His most recent position was at Joel Barlow High School (Redding, Conn.) where he was a varsity assistant softball coach. At Barlow he was responsible for running practices, assisting in strategic in-game decisions, recruiting and scheduling.

From 1996-2007, Fazio was the assistant coach at Danbury High School in Danbury, Conn., where he helped guide the Hatters to nine postseason appearances and twice reached the semi-finals in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC). He also was an assistant coach for Danbury's varsity girl’s basketball program.

Fazio has had success heading travel tournament teams as well. He coached the U-14 Danbury Debs into the U-14 Pony National Tournament, guided the U-23 Danbury Debs to several tournament championships and took the U-18 Western Connecticut Firebirds to two national tournament appearances. He also coached in the Danbury Women's Fast Pitch Softball League and captured a division or tournament championship in all but one season from 1980-1991.

He received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Iona College and resides in Danbury, Conn. with his wife Carol.

Ron LoValvo enters his second season as an assistant coach for the Mercy College softball team. The Danbury, Conn. resident is no stranger to Fazio, as the two worked together coaching travel softball ball from 2004 through 2008.

A graduate of Western Connecticut State in 1981, LoValvo brings a wealth of coaching experience to Mercy.  In addition to his many years as a football coach, where his teams have won regional and two national titles, he began coaching softball in 1998 with Danbury Youth Softball where the players he coached were always well prepared and successful on the field.    He later worked with the Danbury Heat, the Danbury Debs and the Connecticut Panthers travel teams.

"Ron brings a winning attitude to our program,” Fazio said.  “The football teams he coached won two national titles before he left the sport completely to devote all his time to softball. 

Although his background is almost exclusively in football, LoValvo has made a seamless transition to softball in recent years. As a part-time coach last season, he was instrumental in the team’s success as the Mavericks made their first trip to the ECC tournament.  Coach Fazio attributes a great part of that success to the positive attitude LoValvo brings to the team each and every day.  He is an effective communicator with the players, who respond positively to his style.  That style was developed following many years of coaching both youth softball and Pop Warner football. 

LoValvo is married and works for the Town of Ridgefield (Conn.) Parks and Recreation Department.

Former Mercy College softball standout Krissy Lacik has been named an assistant coach for the softball team, Head Coach Mike Fazio announced today.  The Edison, N.J. native is pursuing a postgraduate degree at Mercy after having graduated last year with a bachelor of science in health science.  Her primary duties will include overseeing strength and conditioning and working with the outfielders.

Lacik served as a captain for last year's Mavericks squad which earned its first-ever East Coast Conference postseason appearance, garnering multiple individual awards for both athletics and academics.

Lacik overcome a horrific knee injury in just the second game of her freshman season to become one of the most accomplished players in Mercy history, finishing her career with a .320 batting average and ranking third all-time in total bases (159), fourth in hits (120) and runs batted in (55), sixth in doubles (15), seventh in runs scored (63), eighth in home runs (four) and 10^th in triples (six) and slugging percentage (.424).  She earned the ECC's John Smile Award in 2009 for overcoming her physical hardship to excel in the sport and was named to the ECC Commissioner's Honor Roll and an Academic All-American by the NFCA in 2011.

Mercy College head softball coach Mike Fazio announced today the hiring of Marc J. Della Volpe as an assistant softball coach for the spring 2012 season.  Della Volpe will work with the pitchers and outfielders while also being responsible for camp and clinic operations as well as assisting in recruiting.

Della Volpe joins the Mavericks with four years of Division I coaching experience, having coached at nearby Fordham University from 2001-04, during which time he was a member of the 2003 Atlantic 10 Coaching Staff of the Year.  More recently, he worked as an assistant at Manhattan College from 2004-05 before taking a head coaching position at Montclair Kimberly Academy, where he led the varsity squad to a state title.

A graduate of Belford University, Della Volpe earned a bachelor's degree in education and a master's in educational administration after receiving an associate's degree from Essex County College.  He attended Belleville High School in Belleville, N.J.

Della Volpe resides in Nutley, N.J.