University of Nevada - Reno Women's Softball

Mountain West Regular Season Champion (2025) Mountain West Coach of the Year (2025) NFCA All-American and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Victoria Hayward wasted no time positively impacting Nevada Softball and the Mountain West in her debut campaign of 2025. The first-year head coach guided the Wolf Pack to a 41-14 record and a dominant 18-4 mark in conference play to capture the program's first regular-season Mountain West title. Her efforts were recognized by her peers as Hayward was voted Mountain West Coach of the Year. The Wolf Pack thrived under the tutelage of Hayward and her staff as the team batted .321, slammed 61 home runs, scored 324 runs and slugged .530. Behind those numbers, Nevada was one of the top offensive teams in the Mountain West, and ranked in the national top 50 in such statistical categories as stolen bases (15th), slugging percentage (27th), batting average (30th), doubles (40th), hits (41st), home runs (48th), and runs per game (49th). Senior Aaliyah Jenkins capped her Wolf Pack career by being named Mountain West Player of the Year, having a career year in what was already an illustrious career, batting .446 with 17 home runs, 17 doubles, 74 hits, 60 RBIs, a slugging percentage of .916 and an OPS of 1.462. Hayward was named the sixth head coach of the Nevada Softball program on May 22, 2024. With a decade of collegiate coaching experience and a storied playing career, Hayward has brought a profound respect for the sport and an infectious love of the game to Nevada. She spent the 2024 campaign as an assistant at her alma mater, Washington, where the Huskies elevated their play to a 32-15 overall record, finishing third in the Pac-12 and making the program’s 30th consecutive NCAA Regional. Before her impactful return to Seattle, Hayward was a leader on the San Diego State staff for two seasons (2022-23), serving as associate head coach in her final year. Under her guidance, the Aztecs soared to the Mountain West tournament title and came within a game of the Women’s College World Series. San Diego State captured the Los Angeles Regional with three-straight wins and battled valiantly in the Salt Lake City Super Regional. Over Hayward’s tenure, the Aztecs achieved a remarkable 78-33 overall record, won two Mountain West titles (2022 regular season, 2023 tournament), and reached two NCAA Regionals and a Super Regional. Hayward's coaching pedigree is built on a foundation of success at the sport's highest levels. The 2014 first-team All-American began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at LSU under the mentorship of head coach Beth Torina in 2015. During her time there, the Tiger unit was named the Division I South Region Staff of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) following a stellar 52-14 season and a third-place finish at the Women’s College World Series. Hayward was again recognized as part of an award-winning staff in 2023 when the San Diego State staff earned the NFCA West Region honor. At San Diego State, Hayward’s expertise helped propel Mac Barbara to NFCA third-team All-American status, all-NFCA first-team west region honors, and the title of Mountain West Player of the Year in 2022. Barbara's impressive stats under Hayward’s tutelage included a .395 batting average, 18 home runs, and a .802 slugging percentage. Hayward's coaching journey also includes valuable stints at UMass (2016-17), Maryland (2018), and UCF as director of operations in 2019, further showcasing her ability to elevate every program she joins. On the field, Hayward's legacy is equally impressive. She holds the distinction of being the youngest person named to Canada’s Senior National Team at just 16. Born in Toronto and raised in the United States, Hayward’s international career began early and included standout performances at the 2009 World Cup of Softball and the 2010 WBSC Junior World Championship. She earned silver medals for Canada at the 2011 and 2019 Pan-Am Games and was a key player on Canada’s 2020 Olympic Team, which earned a bronze medal in Tokyo. At Washington, Hayward’s collegiate career was marked by excellence, earning All-Pac-12 honors each of her four seasons, including first-team accolades as a junior and senior. In 2014, she was named to the NFCA All-America First Team, leading the Pac-12 with 28 stolen bases and pacing the Huskies in batting average (.408), at-bats (157), runs (47), and hits (64) while starting all 52 games. Her leadership helped the Huskies win four NCAA Regionals and reach the WCWS in 2013.

Jillian Celis begins her second season on the Wolf Pack softball staff in 2025. Along with the rest of Victoria Hayward's first-year Wolf Pack staff in 2025, Celis played a key role in the capture of Nevada's first Mountain West regular season championship. Nevada went 18-4 in conference play and finished 41-14 overall while being one of the top offensive teams in the Mountain West. At the end of the campaign, the Wolf Pack ranked in the national top 50 in such statistical categories as stolen bases (15th), slugging percentage (27th), batting average (30th), doubles (40th), hits (41st), home runs (48th), and runs per game (49th). Celis' role with the Wolf Pack is her first in the collegiate ranks. She joined the Pack straight out of her five-year playing career at Washington and San Diego State. Celis spent her final collegiate season with the Washington Huskies, batting .313, being named to the All-Pac-12 Defensive Team, and earning a spot on the All-Pac-12 Third Team. Prior to her season with the Huskies, Celis played four seasons at San Diego State. She was a two-time all-conference honoree during her career with the Aztecs. Celis was a career .316 batter while hitting 16 home runs and 50 doubles. Celis is fifth all-time in Aztec history with 37 doubles, including 13 in her freshman season, a San Diego State record. Celis played under Hayward in 2022 and 2023 when Hayward was an associate head coach at San Diego State. Additionally, Delanie Wisz coached Celis when she was a volunteer assistant at San Diego State in 2023. Celis is a native of Corona, Calif., and earned a B.S. in Business from San Diego State in 2023.

Carli Cutler begins her second season on the Nevada Softball staff ahead of the 2026 campaign. Cutler joined the Wolf Pack ahead of the 2025 season after two years on the Saint Joseph's coaching staff. Cutler's pitching acumen paid immediate dividends for the Wolf Pack staff in 2025. Cutler molded a crew which ranked third in the Mountain West and 42nd in the country in ERA at 2.94, third in the conference in WHIP (1.40) and first in strikeouts-per-seven-innings (5.73). The stout performance of the Wolf Pack staff played a huge role in Nevada's run to the program's first Mountain West regular season championship. Individually, Hailey McLean turned in a career year, going 17-7 with a 2.62 ERA, 149 strikeouts, four shutouts, and four saves. Her performance led to being named to the All-Mountain West First Team and to the NFCA All-Mountain Region First Team. Another first-year transfer, Tess Bumiller, went 9-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 48 strikeouts, while redshirt sophomore Ainsley Berlingeri was 10-3 with a 2.83 ERA and 77 strikeouts. Before her time at Saint Joseph's, Cutler spent her first season as a full-time assistant coach at Nicholls State, where she served as pitching coach. Prior to Nicholls State, Cutler was a graduate assistant at Fresno State for the 2021 season. While a member of the Bulldogs' staff, Cutler helped the program capture the Mountain West championship and compete in the NCAA Tournament. Working with the pitching staff, Cutler helped Fresno State lead the conference in ERA, strikeouts, and opposing batting average while guiding Hailey Dolcini to Mountain West Pitcher of the Year and NFCA All-Region Pitcher honors. A four-year starter at UConn, Cutler was twice named an American Athletic Conference All-Conference honoree and garnered AAC All-Rookie accolades as a freshman. As a captain in 2020, Cutler helped lead the Huskies to their best start to a season in 20 years. Cutler primarily played third base at UConn, while also pitching in 14 games for the Huskies. Cutler is a native of Rocklin, Calif.. She earned a B.S. in Sports Management from UConn in 2020. Cutler received a M.S. of Kinesiology - Sports Psychology from Fresno State in 2022.

Aaliyah Jenkins enters her first season on the Nevada Softball staff ahead of the 2026 campaign. Jenkins joins the Wolf Pack after completing one of the most decorated careers in program history, emerging as one of the Mountain West’s most dominant all-around players. A four-time All-Mountain West honoree, Jenkins capped her career as the 2025 Mountain West Player of the Year and a D1Softball Second Team All-American. She also earned NFCA All-Mountain Region First Team honors and was a two-time All-Tournament Team selection. Known for her rare blend of power, speed, and defensive versatility, Jenkins finished her career as one of the conference’s most complete offensive threats—recording elite numbers in batting average, extra-base hits, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases while consistently anchoring Nevada’s lineup. Jenkins’ impact extended beyond her offensive production. She was a steady defensive presence with experience behind the plate and in the field, and she played a key role in elevating Nevada’s competitiveness within the Mountain West throughout her four seasons. She graduated in May of 2025 with a Bachelor in Kinesiology and a minor in Psychology.

Following one of the most successful careers in Nevada diving history, Krysta Palmer joined the Wolf Pack coaching staff in the summer of 2016 as a volunteer assistant coach. Now entering her seventh season as a member of the Nevada coaching staff, Palmer recently is coming off an appearance with Team USA, where she represented the United States at the 2021 Olympic Game. Her participation led to a bronze medal in the 3-meter springboard, which was the first medal Team USA has obtained since Sydney 2000. Palmer was also the first to win a medal in the 3-meter springboard since 1988.  She also represented the United States at the 2017 FINA World Championships. Participating in her first international diving competition, Palmer helped lead the United States to a bronze medal in the mixed 3-meter/10-meter team event, which was the first medal Team USA obtained at the championships. In her final season donning the Navy Blue and Silver, Palmer was awarded the 2015-16 Ruth Russell Award, which is given annually to the school’s top senior female student-athlete. As a senior, Palmer earned All-Mountain West and NCAA All-American honorable mention honors, which helped lead her to being named the MW Diver of the Year for the second straight season.   That same season, Palmer tallied seven first place finishes and three runner-up finishes in the regular season and guided the Wolf Pack to a top 25 CSCAA national ranking. Her diving performances also guided Nevada to a perfect 10-0 dual record, which resulted in the first MW championship in the program history.   In 2016, Palmer earned a qualifying spot at the Olympic trials, where she advanced to two final rounds. On the synchronized platform and individual platform, Palmer placed fourth and ninth, respectively, at the U.S. Olympic Dive trials in Indianapolis.  Her junior campaign with the Wolf Pack was as decorated as any other in Nevada history. After taking home three titles at the MW Championships, Palmer advanced to the 2015 NCAA Championships, where she earned honorable mention All-American honors.  Prior to the start of her diving career in 2012, Palmer participated in gymnastics for seven years and trampoline for eight years, before injuries prevented her from continuing to compete on the trampoline.  While on the U.S. National Trampoline Team, she finished second in the nation during the 2009 season after winning the national championship on the trampoline in that same season.  Her trampoline career gave Palmer the opportunity to travel around the world, as she competed in Belgium, Russia, France and the Netherlands as a member of the U.S. team. Palmer graduated from the University of Nevada in 2016 with a degree in Kinesiology. 

After completing her initial two years at the University of Oregon, Gabby Herrera concluded her collegiate playing career with a remarkable final season at the University of Nevada in 2024. During this standout year, she was honored as the Co-Mountain West Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Mountain West and Second Team All-Region accolades as an outfielder. Herrera's exceptional performance included a .392 batting average and record-breaking statistics in home runs (17), RBIs (65), and total bases. Prior to her tenure at Nevada, Gabby competed for the Ducks, where she batted a career average of .268 during her freshman and sophomore years. Following the end of her illustrious playing career, Gabby transitioned to a significant role on the coaching staff as the Director of Player Development. This new position coincided with Victoria Haywards inaugural season as head coach of the Pack, allowing Herrera to leverage her extensive playing experience to contribute to the team's growth and success from a developmental perspective.