Head coach Amy Kvilhaug is in her third season with the Red Storm and looks to build upon a new era in the St. John's softball program. With Kvilhaug's proven tradition of winning and vast amount of experience in the BIG EAST, the 2009 squad looks to compete in a deep and challenging BIG EAST Conference. Under the tutelage of Kvilhaug, the team looks to challenge in the BIG EAST as a talented group of sophomores along have progressed quickly and look to continue to make an impact. Both catcher Kacee Cox and pitcher Kat Lawrence were in the top 10 statistically in the BIG EAST a year ago. Nine newcomers were recruited to St. John's for the 2009 season and are poised to have the same success as last year's freshman crop. "Anytime one does anything for the first time, in this case a team adapting to a new college softball coaching staff, there will be obstacles and challenges," said Kvilhaug. "From the program's standpoint, I thought we adjusted very well and experienced a great deal of positive success. Along with many individual accolades, some of our team highlights included the way we competed against top teams in the county. It brought our athletes' expectations of themselves to a higher level which I feel is the first step in turning around a program." Before coming to Queens, Kvilhaug had the spent previous four seasons as head coach of the Radford University Highlanders in Radford, Va. While at Radford, she took the program to new heights and molded it into one of the top teams in the Big South Conference. At Radford she compiled a 127-115 overall record. After winning 17 games in her first year, she led her teams to three consecutive seasons with 30 or more victories marking the first time in Radford history that the team had posted back-to-back-to-back winning campaigns. In 2006, Kvilhaug guided Radford to its first 40-win season and posted a .645 winning percentage. Under her direction, Radford's pitching staff ranked ninth in the nation with a 1.12 ERA and the Highlanders made their first-ever appearance in a Big South Championship game. Over her four seasons with Radford, Kvilhaug had 17 Highlanders earn all-conference honors. Eight players earned first team recognition to give the Highlanders more first-teamers in Kvilhaug's four seasons than in the previous 11 years combined. Kvilhaug was named Big South Co-Coach of the Year in 2005 and left Radford as the all-times wins leader. Kvilhaug is no stranger to the BIG EAST as she was a four-year standout on the mound for the Providence Friars from 1993-1996. The pitcher made an immediate impact on the program earning BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, first team All-BIG EAST, second team All-New England and Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament MVP honors during her freshman season. Kvilhaug served as a team captain during her last three years on the team, leading the Friars to a BIG EAST Championship in 1994 and the ECAC Championship in 1995. She graduated from Providence as the single season leader in appearances (30), games started (29), innings pitched (215.2) and wins (24). "My familiarity with the BIG EAST as well as experiencing four years of building a program at Radford has certainly aided us in the process of building upon the success at St. John's," said Kvilhaug. "Success comes through experience and knowledge, maintaining the philosophy you believe in, and most importantly having good people who work around you. I have a staff in place now that I believe will help guide our athletes to the highest level of play in our game." Kvilhaug returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach from 1999-2002, after making coaching stops at Seton Hall, Rutgers and Florida Southern. Kvilhaug graduated from Providence with a bachelor of science in marketing and has started working towards her masters in sport management at St. John's. Originally from Taunton, Mass., Kvilhaug currently resides in Queens, N.Y.
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