BURLINGTON, Vt. – Mayer Women's Basketball Coach Alisa Kresge announced staffing updates ahead of the 2025-26 campaign Monday morning. The Catamounts have hired Sacha Santimano as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator and Alec Kerdell has been promoted to Assistant Coach. In addition, Carley Hill will serve as Director of Basketball Operations.

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2025-26 Conference Schedule
 
Santimano joins the Catamounts after serving as Assistant Coach last season at Marshall. While with the Herd, Santimano was awarded as a recipient of the 2024 Cathy Inglese Legacy Coach Academy Scholarship. She was also invited to the 53rd class of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA) and the 7th class of NCAA Academy 2.0 in 2024 and the 2025 TopConnect Basketball Symposium.

"We're thrilled to welcome Sacha Santimano to our coaching staff," said Kresge. "With over 22 years of college coaching experience, Sacha brings a deep knowledge of the game, a proven ability to develop student-athletes, and an incredible passion for empowering young women to reach their full potential on and off the court. Her leadership, energy, and commitment to excellence will be a tremendous asset to our program."

Prior to her time with the Herd, she coached at Army for two seasons. At West Point, Santimano's primary role was coordinating the defense, which saw success in both seasons that she was at the helm. During the 2023-24 campaign Army ranked in the top-five in the Patriot League in steals (2^nd), scoring defense (4^th), opponent efficiency (4^th), 3-point defense (4^th) and combined rebounding (4^th).

Santimano's player development also included two All-Patriot League First Teamers, a pair of All-Patriot League Rookie Team selections, an All-Patriot League Second Team selection and the All-Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

Santimano was also head coach at the Division III level, leading Bowdoin College for one season (2021-22) after serving as the head coach at Eastern Nazarene College for 10 seasons.

Kerdell is entering his third season in Catamount Country after serving in the Director of Basketball Operations role over the last two years.

"I'm excited to announce the promotion of Alec Kerdell, who has been a key contributor to our success," said Kresge. "Alec is a true student of the game—his passion, dedication to player development, and game planning have made a significant impact on our team. We're fortunate to have him, and I look forward to seeing him thrive in this new role."

Hill, a former Rice Memorial High School player from Essex, Vermont, joined the Catamounts after completing her playing career at SUNY-Potsdam.

"It's always special to bring someone home—Carly grew up around UVM basketball and has a deep-rooted passion for this program," said Kresge. As a former standout player, she brings a competitive spirit and strong work ethic. Her energy, enthusiasm, and eagerness to contribute will be a tremendous asset to our team and culture."

During her senior year with the Bears she started all 25 games and led the team in minutes played averaging 34.3 minutes per game. She averaged 7.2 ppg and her three-point shooting, 38%, was third best in the conference. She had 69 rebounds with 16 steals and 26 assists.

Before her time at Potsdam she started her collegiate career at Le Moyne. During the 2021-22 campaign she helped the Dolphins secure a Regular Season title in the Northeast-10 and earn a NCAA Tournament berth.

Hill graduated from New Hampton School in 2021 where she was named Coaches all-league as a Senior and VBCA Senior All-Star.

For news and updates about the Vermont women's basketball program, follow @UVMwbb on X and Facebook, @Catamountsbb on Instagram, and visit UVMathletics.com. 
Vermont Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont women's basketball.