Chowan College Women's Softball

Junior Bailey enters his fifth season as head softball coach at Chowan University. During the 2026 season, Bailey guided the Hawks to a 32-20 overall record and a 17-11 mark in Conference Carolinas play, including a 16-4 record at home. He was honored with the 2026 Beyond the Spotlight Legacy Achievement Award in recognition of more than two decades of leadership and more than 400 collegiate victories. Bailey reached another career milestone during the 2026 campaign, earning his 500th collegiate coaching victory, while Ava Mizell made program history by breaking Chowan's single-season stolen base record with 51 steals. Under Bailey's leadership, Chowan earned multiple conference, regional, and academic honors. Abby Rutledge was named D2CCA All-Southeast Region Second Team, while Kyra Helton, Ava Mizell, and Makenzi Curry earned All-Conference and postseason recognition. The Hawks also placed five on the CSC Academic All-District Team and advanced to the semifinals of the Conference Carolinas Championship to round out the season. In the 2025 season, Bailey led the Hawks to a 20-28 overall record and a 10-14 mark in conference play. The season marked the program's first appearance in the Conference Carolinas Championship and the team's highest win total since 2019. Mckenzie Misenheimer paced the offense with a .354 batting average, eight home runs, 31 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases, while Hailey Boone recorded her 150th career strikeout and became the first player in Conference Carolinas Championship history to throw a no-hitter. Five Hawks earned CSC Academic All-District honors, while 17 were named to the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll. In his second season, Bailey coached three CSC Academic All-District selections, while Haleigh Reid earned Conference Carolinas All-Defensive Team honors. During his first season at Chowan, Bailey improved the program's win total by six games while helping the Hawks surpass 100 stolen bases for the first time since 2014. Bailey arrived in Murfreesboro after spending six seasons at Barton College (2017-22), where he guided the Bulldogs to 123 victories. During the 2022 season, he led Barton to a 29-12 overall record and a Conference Carolinas Quarterfinal appearance, marking the program's best season since 1994. During his tenure at Barton, eight student-athletes earned All-Conference Carolinas honors, with several also receiving NCCSIA All-State recognition. In 2021, Bailey recorded his 400th career collegiate victory. Prior to Barton, Bailey spent 10 years as Athletic Director and Head Softball Coach at Pitt Community College (2005-16). He oversaw the college's athletic department and guided the Bulldogs to 316 victories, three NJCAA National Tournament appearances, and three NJCAA Region X Championships. His success earned him Region X Coach of the Year honors three times. Bailey coached eight NJCAA National Players of the Week and numerous all-region selections during his time at PCC. His teams also excelled academically, posting a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher every season. Before his collegiate coaching career, Bailey spent a decade teaching and coaching in the Pitt County Schools system, compiling a 101-16 high school softball record and a 75-9 middle school record. One of his high school teams advanced to the third round of the state playoffs, the deepest postseason run in program history. Before entering education and coaching, Bailey served in the United States Naval Reserve as a hospital corpsman. He has also served as a part-time youth minister at Bethel Baptist Church. Bailey has served as the coaches' chair for both Conference Carolinas and Region X. He has also worked as a tournament director for Region X softball and volleyball championships and has led softball skills clinics in Southeast Asia while umpiring showcase events for the Amateur Softball Association (ASA). A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Bailey earned his bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from East Carolina University and has completed leadership institutes through both Pitt Community College and the NJCAA. Bailey and his wife, Laurie, have three sons—Walker, Matthew, and Garrett—and reside in Stokes, North Carolina.

Lucas Pels enters his second season as the head men's and women's swim coach at Chowan after officially taking over the program in October 2025. A standout performer for the Hawks from 2018–2022, Pels was an All-Conference swimmer in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200 IM during his senior season, cementing his legacy before transitioning into the coaching ranks. After a stint with the Planet Swim Club in Ponte Vedra, Florida, Pels returned to his alma mater as the acting head coach during a mid-season transition in 2023, where he successfully guided the Hawks to multiple podium finishes at the Conference Carolinas Championships. In his first full season at the helm, Pels continued to elevate the program's competitive standard. At the Conference Carolinas Championships, he coached six swimmers to recrod personal bests and oversaw a historic performance by freshman Vanja Romic. Under Pels' mentorship, Romic shattered the Chowan school record in the 100-yard breaststroke twice: first at the King Midseason Invite with a time of 1:06.15, and again at the conference championship meet with a blazing 1:05.92. The men’s side also saw significant success under Pels’ leadership at the conference championships. Aleksei Belolipetski earned Second and Third Team All-Conference honors, securing silver and bronze medals in the 100 Free, 200 IM, and the 200 Free Relay. Joining Belolipetski on the podium for the 200 Free Relay were Dimitrije Markovic, Robert Cabrera, and Stefan Reedy, who all earned Third Team All-Conference (Bronze) honors. Markovic added to his medal count with a bronze finish in the 500 Free. "We feel fortunate to have Lucas join the staff officially," stated Patrick Mashuda, Associate Vice President for Athletics and Compliance. "Lucas has a ton of talent as a young coach and his enthusiasm for the sport is off the charts. I can't wait to see what Lucas can do with the program that he helped to build as a former CU Hawk swimmer."   

Adam Moneypenny enters his 13th season with the Chowan Men’s and Women’s Tennis programs and his sixth as Head Coach. A Chowan alumnus, Moneypenny returned to his alma mater following a two-year hiatus after the 2020-21 season. The 2025-26 season marked a significant milestone for the program, highlighted by the men’s team finishing with an 8-10 overall record and a 5-6 mark in league play. This performance secured the Hawks their first appearance in the Conference Carolinas Men’s Tennis Championship since the 2018-19 season. On the women's side, a youthful roster featuring several new freshmen added vital depth and a promising outlook for the program’s future. Off the court, the men’s team set the standard for academic excellence, producing the highest GPA among all men’s teams at Chowan with a 3.65. Academic honors were also abundant as four student-athletes—three from the men’s team and one from the women’s team—were named to the CSC Academic All-District Team. This success builds upon a strong 2024-25 campaign where both squads captured victories at the Spring Break Fest, with the women’s team eventually competing in the Conference Carolinas Tennis Championship. That year, 11 Hawks were placed on the Conference Carolinas Presidential Spring Honor Roll, following a 2023-24 season that saw three players named to the CSC Academic All-District Team. In 2019, Edmond Aynedijan earned Conference Carolinas First Team Honors, along with Adi Kaliakperov and Cynthia Carrier picking up Conference Carolinas Second Team Honors.  The Men finished with a 7-13 overall record and a 4-5 mark in Conference Carolinas action and earned the sixth seed in the Conference Carolinas Tennis Championship. During the 2018 season, Chowan’s women’s team captured the Conference Carolinas Regular Season and Tournament Title.  The Men’s team would fight to capture the Conference Carolinas Tournament Title as the No. 3 seed.  Both teams would earn the automatic bid for the NCAA Southeast Regional.  Chowan would appear in the NCAA postseason for the third and fourth times respectively. The women’s team capped off a perfect 11-0 mark in league play and a 20-4 overall record.  Polina Novachuk was named Conference Carolinas Player of the Year, as well as, First Team All-Conference.  Hanna Tarlouskaya was named Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference.  Cynthia Carrier and Victoria Smolchenkova also earned First Team nods.  Lenka Styblova and Angelique Gouin were named to the Third Team list. On the men’s side, Chowan finished with a 15-8 overall record and an 8-2 mark in league play.  Ghassan Alansi, Adi Kaliakperov, and Mateusz Izycki earned First, Second, and Third Team honors respectively. In 2017, the women’s team finished with a 20-9 overall season and a 13-0 mark in CIAA action.  Chowan would fall in the CIAA Championship match.  Polina Novachuk was named CIAA Player of the Year.  The men would finish the season with a 16-8 overall record.  The team would appear in the NCAA Atlantic Regionals and finished the season in the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. In the 2016 season, Moneypenny assisted in coaching the women’s team to their second CIAA Championship title, while the men earned their first ever CIAA Championship title in school program history.  With both teams earning bids to the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional tournament, the men’s team was the first team of any sport at Chowan to win a regional tournament match. Moneypenny was part of the Hawks’ historic 2014 seasons with the women’s team earning their first CIAA Championship and the men earning CIAA Runner-Up honors.  Both teams earned bids to the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional with the men claiming the institution’s first at-large bid in any sport.   In his first season with the Hawks, Moneypenny was named the Intercollegiate Atlantic Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.  The men’s and women’s team both finished as the CIAA Tournament Runner-Ups in 2013, with the men’s team claiming the CIAA Northern Division title. Moneypenny was a four year member of the Chowan University men’s tennis team, and will stay involved with both the women’s and men’s tennis teams this season by assisting with practices, matches, and other duties as necessary. Moneypenny was named to the All-CIAA Men’s Tennis Team during his final season with the squad in 2012. He graduated from Chowan in 2013 with a degree in Psychology with a concentration in Applied Counseling and minor in Business Administration. Moneypenny resides in the Murfreesboro area.

Presley Bissett enters her fifth season with the Chowan Softball program as the Assistant Softball Coach. During the 2026 season, Bissett played an instrumental role in helping guide the Hawks to a 32-20 overall record and a berth in the Conference Carolinas Championship semifinals. Serving as Chowan's first and third base coach, she helped oversee one of the conference's most aggressive and productive baserunning units. The Hawks swiped 142 stolen bases during the season, highlighted by Ava Mizell setting a new program single-season record with 51 steals. Bissett also assisted in the development of several All-Conference Carolinas performers and helped the program earn multiple academic and regional honors throughout the year. Bissett joins the Chowan staff after spending a season as the Assistant Coach at Barton College.  While with the Bulldogs, Bissett helped the program to their highest win total since 1994 with 29 wins.  Bissett helped with the pitchers and catchers produce a program-low in earned runs, walks allowed, and opposing batting average. Prior to joining the collegiate ranks, Bissett was the Assistant Coach at Wilson Christian Academy for a season along with being the Post 13 Legion Softball Head Coach for two seasons. She also was a volunteer at the Miracle League of the Triangle since 2016. The Wilson, N.C. native played collegiately at Division I Presbyterian as an infielder.  Bissett graduated from Presbyterian in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management.

Abby Rutledge joins the Chowan University softball coaching staff as a graduate assistant for the 2027 season following a standout playing career with the Hawks. A native of Middleburg, Florida, Rutledge was a key member of Chowan's pitching staff and one of the program's most reliable arms during her collegiate career. During her senior campaign in 2026, she earned D2CCA All-Southeast Region Second Team honors after posting an 11-3 record with eight saves and a 1.56 ERA. She also surpassed both 100 career strikeouts as a Hawk and 200 collegiate strikeouts during the season. Under her leadership in the circle, Chowan compiled a 32-20 overall record and advanced to the semifinals of the Conference Carolinas Championship. As a graduate assistant, Rutledge will assist with the development of Chowan's pitchers while helping support the day-to-day operations of the softball program.