Kelley Montalvo Added to B-CU Softball Coaching Staff

Assistant Softball Coach Kelly Montalvo
Bethune-Cookman University Athletics
Photo Courtesy: Barry University Athletics

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Kelly Montalvo was named a new assistant coach for Bethune-Cookman Softball on Saturday, Nov. 3, as announced by BCU Hall of Fame Head Coach Laura Watten. Montalvo takes over for Kaelyn Green who departed from the program in July.
 
Kelley Montalvo comes to Daytona Beach after spending the previous season as an assistant coach at Barry University in her hometown of Miami.
 
"I am so happy to have Kelley [Montalvo] join our staff," said Watten. "She brings a different approach to the game, and she played for a national championship program at Alabama. She is going to help us in a number of ways, and we can't wait to get her up and running."
 
In her only season with the Barry Softball program, Montalvo helped guide the Buccaneers to a 24-30 overall record. She was instrumental in the team winning five consecutive games to begin the month of March, as well as the Bucs reeling off seven additional wins on the spin during a Spring Break trip in Clermont, Florida. In her duties coaching, she saw catcher Madison VonHagel named to the All-South Region Second Team, while she would go on to earn First Team All-Sunshine State Conference accolades.
 
Nine Buccaneers received National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar All-American honors, including four-time recipient Alayna Gallagher, who also was selected for the second year in a row as Barry's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
Prior to coaching ta Barry, Montalvo served for eight years with the Akron Racers of the National Pro Fastpitch League (NPFL). She signed with the Racers as a free agent and had her contract extended three times, making her the longest tenured Racer. An All-NPF selection in 2014, 2105 and 2016, she compiled 120 runs, 89 RBIs and 17 home runs in her career. She was the NPF Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, finishing the season with 43 putouts, 93 assists and just three errors for a .978 fielding percentage.
 
"This is a great honor to be coaching at a university with such a rich history of winning and achieving conference championships like Bethune-Cookman University," remarked Montalvo. "I am thankful to Coach [Laura] Watten for allowing me to join her staff, and I am just ready to get to work and continue raising the bar for what has already been an established program here in Daytona Beach."
 
A 2009 graduate of the University of Alabama, earning a bachelor's degree at the Capstone in communications and broadcasting, Montalvo played four years under Head Coach Pat Murphy and the Tide in Tuscaloosa.
 
Playing for the Crimson Tide, she would achieve First Team All-America honors in 2008 and '09 on both the Louisville Slugger/NFCA and Easton Teams, respectfully. Throughout her illustrious career, she helped the team to an unprecedented 221-40 mark across four seasons, scoring 174 runs and registering 154 RBIs. She would tote a .333 career batting average, with 96 of her 204 hits going for extra bases.
 
Adding to her career numbers from Alabama, Montalvo achieved the following: All-SEC Freshman Team (2006), First Team NFCA All-South Region (2007), Second Team All-South Region (2008), First Team All-SEC (2008 and 2009), All-SEC Defensive Team (2008 and 2009), First Team Easton All-American (2008), First Team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American (2008), NFCA All-District Team (2009), All-SEC preseason selection (2009) and Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team (2009).
 
She was also a USA Softball Player of the Year candidate in 2009.
 
Another of Montalvo's previous coaching stops also includes three seasons at Middle Tennessee State coaching outfielders and hitters. She inherited a squad that previously hit .272 as a team prior to her arrival, only to raise their collective average to a .297 in her final year with the Blue Raiders program.
 
As previously stated, Kelley Montalvo is a native of Miami, graduating with honors from nationally renowned Monsignor Pace High School. In 2005, she would be tabbed Class 3-A (AAA) Hitter of the Year by her hometown Miami Herald. She would go on to achieve all-state honors in each of her junior and senior seasons, respectively.
 
Bethune-Cookman will release the 2019 schedule shortly. Fans are advised to stay tuned to @BCUSoftball on Twitter and BCUathletics.com for the official announcement.
 
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