Bio

Karen Piazza enters her ninth season as head women's tennis coach at USJ in 2025. During her tenure at USJ, the women's tennis program has posted an overall record of 44-64.

This past season, Piazza guided the Blue Jays to a historic season posting an 11-7 record while the women's tennis team advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Match for the first time since the 1999 campaign. In addition to the championship appearance, the Blue Jays have made the GNAC First Round five times, including three GNAC Semifinals appearance in 2016, 2021, and 2023 under the direction of Piazza.

In 2017, Piazza was named the GNAC Coach of the Year after leading the Blue Jays to a 5-6 record overall and 2-4 in league play. In addition, Piazza has coached six All-Conference student athletes.

Piazza was a teaching pro for the previous six years at the Tennis and Fitness Center of Rocky Hill, where she implemented and ran a variety of programs for juniors, children and adults. She has also coached in programs for the Portland Park & Rec. Department since 2009 and the Berlin Park & Rec. Department since 2011.

A four-year player at Quinnipiac, Pizza graduated Cum laude with a B.S. in Computer Science/Mathematics. She also earned a Certificate of Photography from the Rhode Island School of Photography. She has been self-employed as a photographer and owner of Karen St. Denis-Piazza Photography, performing freelance, commercial and corporate work since 1990.

Piazza resides in Portland, Conn. with her husband Greg and their two daughters, Nicole and Juliette.

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