Bluefield, WV – Bluefield State University athletics announces the departure of Head Softball Coach Holli Holliday.
Coach Holli inherited a team that previously went 6-36 and steadily improved to 13-24 in 2024 and 14-30 in 2025, before achieving a historic 22-26 record this season.

The 2026 campaign marked the most wins in program history. During this record-breaking year, Big Blue softball went undefeated at home (10-0), defeated Tusculum University for the first time in history, finished fifth in the CIAA and made the program's first tournament appearance. Following this historic regular season for the Big Blue, Coach Holli was named CIAA Coach of the Year and will coach at the MLB/USA Softball at the Breakthrough series for the third year.

The team's success was mirrored by individual performances, led by CIAA Player of the Year Paige Whittington. Whittington, an All-CIAA First Team and NFCA Atlantic Region First Team selection, broke the school single-season stolen bases record with 52. Joining her with honors is freshman Skyy Hicks, who earned All-CIAA First Team and All-Rookie Team selections. Both Whittington and Hicks were invited to the HBCU Minority Softball Prospects (MSP) All-Star Game.
In the circle, pitcher Taylor Fells reached her 200th career strikeout this spring.

A total of seven student athletes earned conference honors this season. Janessah Nappi, Kyla Jones and Amaya Corona were named to the All-CIAA Second Team. The Big Blue also had four CIAA All-Rookie sections: Hicks, Corona, Hailey Trujillo and Alexis Coles.

"Coach Holliday has made a lasting impact on our softball program and the entire Bluefield State community," said Brodderick Tucker. "Her leadership, dedication to our student-athletes, and commitment to building a culture of excellence helped elevate our program to new heights. She will be greatly missed, and we are grateful for the foundation she has established. We wish her continued success in the next chapter of her coaching career."