Hall of Fame Class of 2025
Marisa Lombardo

Alvernia Inducts Hall of Fame Class of 2025

By Marisa Lombardo (Director of Sports Information)

Reading, Pa. (Jan. 26, 2025) -  Alvernia University inducted the Class of 2025 to its Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday in a ceremony held in Alvernia’s Francis Hall.

The Class of 2025, Alvernia’s 16th Hall of Fame class, included Women's Track and Field athlete Melissa Fellenbaum (2015), Women's Basketball player Maggi Garrett Fessler (1997), Women's Lacrosse and Field Hockey player Sarah George Knodel (2012), Baseball player Chris Ray (2013), Women's Soccer and Women's Lacrosse player Felicia Sippel (2012), and Men's Basketball player Chris Talley (2005). 

Melissa Fellenbaum - Women's Track and Field, 2015

Melissa Fellenbaum was a two-year member of Alvernia’s Track and Field program, leaving her mark in the early years of the program competing at Alvernia. Melissa was a standout pole vaulter for Alvernia, qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championship twice during her indoor career, and twice more during the outdoor season. She was the first individual athlete in Alvernia Athletics history to qualify for an NCAA Championship. Melissa earned All-American honors with a sixth place finish at the 2013 Indoor National Championship, making her the first All-American in Alvernia Track and Field History. She also took ninth place at the 2012 Indoor Championship, and 11th Place at the 2012 Outdoor Championship.

In addition to her All-American honors, Melissa earned First Team All-MAC honors four times, and was a four-time MAC Champion in the Pole Vault. 

Melissa was named the 2013 MAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Senior Scholar Athlete, making her the second ever Alvernia Athlete to earn Senior Scholar honors from the MAC. To date, she is the only female track and field athlete to have earned MAC Senior Scholar honors. 

After graduation, Melissa pursued her career in occupational therapy. For five years, she worked in outpatient upper extremity rehabilitation. In 2020, she began a career as a traveling occupational therapist in the home healthcare setting. She has worked in Colorado, California, Oregon, and Idaho. She has also seen time in her two favorite locations of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Anchorage, Alaska. Melissa is currently living and working in Salt Lake City, Utah with her fiance.

Maggi (Garrett) Fessler - Women's Basketball, 1997

Maggi (Garrett) Fessler was a four-year member of the Alvernia Women’s Basketball team in the 90s. Maggi finished her career with 1,002 career points, 383 made field goals, and a 41.5% field goal percentage. She also had 209 career steals, and is the single-game record-holder with ten steals against Rosemont in 1993. 

Maggi earned All-PAC Honorable Mention honors in 1993 and 1997 to bookend her career. She was a member of the 1994 PAC Champion team, and 1995 ECAC Champion team. She also was a PAC Runner-Up in both 1996 and 1997. 

After graduating from Alvernia, Maggi moved to California, where she taught Kindergarten and worked in an after school program for four years. While in California, she married her husband, Dion. They moved back to Pennsylvania and welcomed their first child. 

Maggi began teaching in the Mahanoy Area School District, where she taught for 19 years. She now teaches fourth grade at Schuylkill Haven Area Elementary.

Maggi resides in Schuylkill Haven with her husband, Dion, and their two sons Kaede and Grayson. Kaede is a senior at Widener University, and Grayson is a sophomore at Schuylkill Haven.

Sarah (George) Knodel - Women's Lacrosse and Field Hockey, 2012

Sarah (George) Knodel was a member of both the field hockey and women’s lacrosse programs during her time at Alvernia.  As a member of the women’s lacrosse team, Sarah played in 74 career games, scored 216 goals, and recorded 62 career assists for 278 career points. Sarah remains the career leader in games played, goals, and points.  She is also the single-season record holder for goals scored with 78 in her final season. Sarah also was a three-year member of the field hockey team, where she recorded six goals, an assist, and five defensive saves.

Sarah was an All-MAC Commonwealth Women’s Lacrosse Honorable Mention honoree in 2010. She made the postseason in three of her four seasons, and she ended her career as a 2012 ECAC Champion. Sarah was the 2012 recipient of the Alvernia Athletic Director Award and was SAAC President from 2010 - 2012.

Sarah now resides in West Chester, with her husband Eric. They have two daughters, Reagan and Emily, and are expecting a third child in April. 

 

After graduating with a degree in Elementary Education, Sarah began her career as a teacher. She earned her Master’s in Education from Cabrini in 2017. She is currently a Literacy Specialist in Downingtown Area School District.

Sarah now resides in West Chester, with her husband Eric. They have two daughters, Reagan and Emily, and are expecting a third child in April. 

Chris Ray - Baseball, 2013

Chris Ray was a four year member of the Alverina Baseball team during one of its most successful runs of the 2000s and 2010s. Chris finished his career having played in 169 games. He finished his four years with a .387 batting average and 232 career hits. He scored 142 runs, and batted in another 126. In the field, Chris, an infielder, finished his career with a .892 fielding percentage 163 putouts, and 216 assists. 

Chris made four MAC postseason appearances and four NCAA postseason appearances during his career. He finished his career as a MAC Champion in 2013. Chris was the 2010 MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year, and was the back-to-back MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012. He also earned First Team All-MAC Commonwealth honors three times.

After graduating from Alvernia, Chris played two years of professional baseball for the Old Orchard Beach Surge of the Empire Professional Baseball League, and was named an All-Star in his rookie season. 

After his professional career, Chris became the Baseball Academy Director at Grand Slam USA in Malvern. He spent four years at Grand Slam before leaving the industry and joining the operations department at SEI, where he still works today. 

Chris also became the head coach of the Quakertown Blazers, the longest tenured team in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League. Since joining, Chris has become the GM and Owner of the Blazers, and transitioned the team into the newly formed East Coast Collegiate League, where the Blazers won the championship in its inaugural season. 

Chris married his college girlfriend, Danielle Kitchen - who was a four-year starter for Alvernia softball - in 2020. The two welcomed their one year daughter, Brinley, in December of 2023.

Felicia Sippel - Women's Soccer and Women's Lacrosse, 2012

Felicia Sippel was a member of both the women’s lacrosse and women’s soccer programs during her time at Alvernia, earning All-Conference honors in both sports. Felicia played 76 games for the women’s soccer team, scoring five career goals and tallying 12 career assists. She was a 2010 Second Team All-MAC honoree, and helped lead the team to both a MAC Commonwealth Semifinal and ECAC Semifinal appearance in 2010. 

Felicia was also a four year member of the Women’s Lacrosse team, playing in 68 career games. She finished her career with 204 goals and 44 assists for 248 career points. She also finished with 193 career draw controls. 

Felicia earned second team All-MAC Commonwealth honors in 2010 and 2011, and was a third team All-American in 2011. She was a member of the 2010 and 2011 teams, which made the ECAC and MAC Commonwealth postseason, respectively.

 

After graduation, Felicia moved back to New Jersey and currently lives in Haddonfield. She went back to school to get her BSN from Drexel University. After earning her BSN, Felicia worked for five years at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. 

For the last five years, she has worked at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, and for three years has worked in the OR as part of the neurological and spine team. Felicia coached girls lacrosse for Cinnaminson Township for two years before transitioning into her nursing career. 

Chris Talley - Men's Basketball, 2005

Chris Talley was a four-year member of the Men’s Basketball team from 2002 through 2006. Chris is a 1,000 point scorer for Alvernia, finishing his career with 1,018 career points. Chris also had eight career double-doubles and shot 49% on his career. 

Chris was a 2005 and 2006 First Team All-PAC honoree. He made the PAC Postseason in all four of his years with the team. He was a member of the 2003 and 2006 PAC Championship teams, both of which made NCAA appearances, and also a member of the 2004 and 2005 PAC Semifinalist teams. 

 

After graduating, Chris was a special education teacher in the Springford School District for ten years. He has since transitioned to an administrative role in the Springford District, where he also coached basketball. In eight years as a head coach, Chris has a 134-72 record, and two league championships. He is also a two-time coach of the year. 

Chris, and his wife Tara - a member of the 2005 Hall of Fame Field Hockey Team at Alvernia - have five children together. 

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