Aikey named the Easton/NFCA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After helping guide Simpson softball to a 41-win campaign, and a final four appearance at the College World Series, Kelsey Aikey was named the Easton/NFCA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year.
Aikey joined the Simpson staff in 2024 and during her two seasons the Storm have won 75 games, including a trip to the College World Series final four this past season.
This past season the Storm finished 41-8 overall and 13-3 in American Rivers Conference play, recording the program's most wins since 2000 and becoming just the fourth team in school history to reach the 40-win mark. Simpson captured the first American Rivers Conference Tournament championship in program history before winning both the Indianola Regional and Winona Super Regional to advance to the NCAA Women's College World Series.
At the College World Series, Simpson opened with a 4-3 win over Mount Union, dropped a game to defending national champion Trine, and kept its run alive with a walk-off elimination win over Linfield before falling in the national semifinals to eventual champion Redlands. The Storm finished the season ranked No. 3 nationally.
The Storm's success was matched by a long list of individual honors and records. Ashlyn Steen earned NFCA Second Team All-America recognition and was named the A-R-C Position Player of the Year. Five players received NFCA All-Region honors, including first team selections Marina Cronin and Steen, while eight Storm players earned all-conference recognition.
This award recognizes the efforts of coaches from the various NFCA membership categories for their tireless dedication to the sport of softball and to the continued education, growth and development of young women, both on and off the playing field.
The winners will be recognized on Dec. 12 during the NFCA Convention's Awards Brunch in Atlantic City, N.J. The winners were nominated by NFCA member coaches and voted for by a panel of their peers on the NFCA Awards Committee.
