By: Erik Pedersen, Content Strategy Director
BALTIMORE – A 2018 Notre Dame of Maryland University graduate was selected as the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM)’s Soccer Coach of the Year after guiding Catholic High School’s varsity team to an undefeated season this fall.
Alla Stepanov ’18 earned the prestigious honor after Catholic’s soccer team completed a perfect 17-0 campaign, which culminated in a 1-0 win over Garrison Forest in the IAAM C Division Championship game on November 2. The IAAM is an organization consisting of 29 private and parochial schools in and around the Baltimore Metro area, including seven counties and Baltimore City, which participate in girls’ interscholastic sports.
“I was surprised but overwhelmingly grateful to be recognized for all of the work I've put into this program over the years,” Stepanov said. “We've accomplished a lot of growth, and it was nice to finally hold that trophy again. This group of girls worked extremely hard, and they truly deserve it. I loved seeing all of the emotions on their faces after earning the title. It's even more rewarding to me as a coach than it ever was as a player.”
Stepanov moved into coaching immediately after graduating from NDMU, joining Catholic’s staff as an assistant coach in the fall of 2018. She became head coach in 2022, and has led the Cubs to the division championship game in each of her first three seasons in that role.
“I love the game,” Stepanov said. “And I wanted to view it from every perspective – player, coach, and referee – to be the best I could at it. This life is hard. Being on the field was my only safe haven to forget it all and finally take care of myself. I wanted to give kids that same outlet to feel safe and excel at something for themselves.”
Stepanov is not the only Notre Dame graduate present on the sidelines at Catholic, as her former teammate, Lauren Santi ’16, serves as the team’s assistant coach. The two played together for a pair of seasons on NDMU’s soccer team, including a 2015 campaign in which the Gators began the year with six-straight victories to clinch the best start in program history.
Lauren Santi (L) and Alla Stepanov (R).
Stepanov graduated from Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and she minored in chemistry. She would later add a Master of Science degree in public health from the University of East London in England. In addition to her coaching responsibilities at Catholic, Stepanov is a chemistry teacher in the school’s Science Department.
“NDMU helped guide me to accept my true calling,” Stepanov said. “I thought I wanted to be a scientist, curing disease; however, NDMU's focus on social justice and mobility allowed me to explore my care for people and underserved populations. I realized that I no longer wanted to cure disease, but to cure systems of oppression that cause disease.
“After NDMU, I got a Master of Science in Public Health,” she continued. “And now, I have the best job in the world of teaching (coaching) public health. As a trailblazer, NDMU will always hold a special place in my heart for giving me the greatest gift: opportunity.”
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
