UC San Diego Softball Camps
Coaching Staff
First Assistant, Jessica Millsap: Millsap enters her second season as an assistant coach for UC San Diego softball in 2011 after being hired in the fall of 2009. Millsap plays a key role in many aspects of the program, including on-the-field coaching, recruiting and camp organization. Millsap is specifically in charge of the pitchers and assists with outfield defense.
Between January 2007 and May 2009, Millsap served as the top assistant coach for Biola University, helping the squad to an overall record of 77-63. The 2007 campaign turned out to be especially spectacular as the Eagles advanced to the second round of the NAIA Region II Tournament under the leadership of Jessica and her sister, head coach Carissa Kalaba. Carissa is now the head coach at Utah State.
Before her experience at Biola, Millsap spent five years as an assistant coach for the Jets Gold 18U squad in Agoura Hills, Calif., and head coach at nearby Arcadia High School.
Millsap graduated from Chatham University in 2007 with a B.A. in Political Science. As a senior there in Pittsburgh, Pa., she captained the Chatham Cougars' softball team while earning most valuable player honors and being named to the All-AWCC Conference team.
Assistant Coach, Nichole Willis. Willis enters her first season in 2011 as an assistant on head coach Patti Gerckens' staff. A former All-American at Fresno State, she takes a particular focus in coaching the catchers, infield defense, as well as hitting.
Willis comes to La Jolla after serving as a varsity assistant coach at Clovis High School in central California, where she was the team's strength and conditioning coordinator last season. Prior to joining the CHS staff, she was an assistant with the Fresno Force U-18 Gold club team and helped lead the squad to back-to-back appearances at Nationals. Willis has also served as a catching and hitting instructor for the last three years and worked briefly as a personal trainer.
Willis was a four-year starter for head coach Margie Wright at Fresno State, where she caught for a pair of Olympians in Jamie Southern and Robin Mackin. A three-time Easton All-American, she hit .299 for her career with 29 doubles, 23 home runs, 127 RBI, and 103 runs scored. She was named the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2004 and went on to earn all-conference accolades in three of her four seasons with the Bulldogs.
Assistant Coach, Allison May. May begins her first season in 2011 as an assistant on head coach Patti Gerckens' staff. May takes a particular focus on working with the team on base running in addition to spending practice time with the outfielders.
May returns to her alma mater as an assistant coach after working as an administrative and human resources assistant in El Segundo for the last several months. May also served as an operations coordinator for Velocity Sports Performance after graduating from UCSD in 2009 and has been conducting private softball lessons for the past two years.
An All-CCAA First Team honoree and NFCA Academic All-American, May batted .268 in 199 career games as a Triton, amassing 23 doubles, nine homers, 82 runs, 82 RBI, and 48 stolen bases. The Manhattan Beach, Calif. native was a key member of UCSD's 2009 squad that advanced to the NCAA Division II West Regional in St. George, Utah, batting .251 with a pair of home runs, 31 runs driven in and a team-high 22 steals.
