Averett University Women's Softball

Taylor Sullivan joined the Averett University softball staff as an assistant coach in July 2024 after playing four seasons with the Cougars. A pitcher from Timberlake, North Carolina, Sullivan earned 2024 All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference Second Team honors during her senior season in which she totaled 11 wins in the circle with 116 strikeouts and only 11 walks in 129.1 innings. Sullivan finished her career with 33 career wins and once save in 399 innings pitched with 308 strikeouts and a 2.98 earned run average. She also totaled 55 career hits with three home runs, 16 doubles and 31 runs batted in as a hitter, also sharing time in the outfield during her career. A two-time all-conference performer and one-time all-state selection, Sullivan earned weekly awards for pitching six times during her career. She also received Averett's Sophomore Female Athlete of the Year at Averett's Night of Champions. Another highlight for Sullivan came in 2022 when she handed eventual NCAA Division III national champion Christopher Newport University its only loss of the season. Sullivan graduated from Averett in May 2024 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and is pursuing her master's degree from Averett.  

Anna Coleman '22/'24 was named as Averett University's softball head coach in December 2024. She is also the Department of Athletics' assistant director of operations and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA). In her first season as head coach, Coleman guided the Cougars to an 18-25 overall record with an 8-14 mark in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Her team had one top-25 victory and produced one all-state selection, two All-ODAC selections and one ODAC Player of the Week. The Cougars also earned their first ODAC Tournament win in the postseason since joining the league for the 2023 season, and she produced the program's first ODAC All-Tournament Team selection during that brief span. Her student-athletes also succeeded off the field as five Cougars earned Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Communicators. Additionally, she had multiple players receive awards at Averett's Night of Champions, including the prestigious Dr. Frank Campbell Sportsmanship Award. Her second season saw an uptick in overall wins, with a 26-18 record. She also won one more conference game than the year before, and upset a top-25 team at home. Her team qualifed for the conference tournament for the second straight season, and doubled their postseason win total from the year prior, as the team advanced to its respective pod finals. Coleman produced three All-ODAC selections, an ODAC Player of the Week, two NFCA All-Region selections, and five more Academic All District honors from the College Sports Communicators. Coleman had multiple players garner end-of-season awards at Averett's Night of Champions, including the Barbara Kushubar Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award. Coleman previously served as an assistant coach with the Averett softball program from 2022-24 following four seasons as a player with the Cougars. She returned to  Averett as the assistant coordinator of athletics operations in August 2024 until taking the help of the softball program. Coleman was a four-year starter at catcher, earning USA South All-Conference East Division First Team honors in 2021 and 2022. Additionally during her career, Coleman earned USA South Rookie of the Week once and helped Averett advance to the 2019 USA South Tournament championship as a freshman. Coleman finished her career with a .349 batting average after hitting a career-high .384 as a senior. She also totaled 128 hits, 27 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 65 runs batted in and 61 runs scored in 115 career games while making 113 career starts for Averett. A three-year captain, Coleman was named a co-recipient of Averett's Senior Female Athlete of the Year in 2022 and earned USA South Academic All-Conference honors. Coleman also was a member of Averett's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Captains and Leaders meetings. A native of Yanceyville, North Carolina, Coleman earned her bachelor's degree in biology and biomedical science from Averett in May 2022. She completed her master's degree from Averett in May 2024.   ANNA COLEMAN'S YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RESULTS Season Overall Conference Finish Postseason 2025 18-25 8-14 8th ODAC Tournament 2026 26-18 9-11 7th ODAC Tournament Totals 44-43 (.508) 17-25 (.405)  HEAD COACHING HIGHLIGHTS • 5 All-ODAC Selections • 1 VaSID All-State Selection • 2 NFCA All-Region Selections • 2 ODAC All-Tournament Team Selections • 10 CSC Academic All-District Selections • 2 ODAC Players of the Week • 1 NFCA Player of the Year Watchlist Selection *Last updated on 5/26/2026