Providence College Softball

Kelsey Christensen enters her second year as head coach at Providence. Named the 12 th head softball coach by Providence College Athletics Director Steve Nap...

Aleima Lopez enters her first year as an assistant coach for the Friars. Lopez was a four-year starter with FIU and was named First Team All-Conference in 2016. She has played professional softball for the globally ranked 3rd Puerto Rico National Team since 2006 and helped her team win the gold medal at the 2018 Central American Games as well as the bronze at the Pan-American Games in 2019. Lopez joins the Friars after two seasons at Bryant University, where she helped the Bulldogs make their first America East Championship appearance in program history during the 2025 season. In her first season at Bryant as an assistant coach in 2024, Lopez worked with all facets of the game and helped lead Bryant to a record breaking 34-17 season, finishing 3rd in conference with a 14-7 record after being voted last in the America East Preseason Poll. That year, she saw one All-America East Second Team selection and one America East All-Rookie team honoree. Prior to Bryant, Lopez served as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Florida International University, for three seasons (2021-23). During her tenure, she helped the Panthers raise their team batting average from .220 to .280 as well as secure a conference tournament berth for the first time in five years. Lopez has also spent time as the head coach of the Sarasota Circus in the FGCL Summer Collegiate League (2020-22), also serving as an assistant coach at the Ole Miss (2020-21) and UTSA (2018-20) coaching staffs. A native of Deltona,

Brendan Morales enters his first year as a graduate assistant. Morales joins the Friars after one season as a graduate assistant at Bryant University in 2025, where he assisted in all facets of the Bulldogs' pitching staff. Prior to his time at Bryant, Morales spent four seasons as a student manager for Virginia Tech's softball program from 2020-24. During his time at Virginia Tech, the team compiled a 162-59 record, reaching the postseason all four years and advancing to two Super Regionals. Morales earned a bachelor's degree in public health from Virginia Tech in 2024.

Taran Alvelo enters her second year as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. In her first season on the coaching staff, Alvelo helped guide the team to a 22-23-1 overall record, including an 11-13 mark in BIG EAST play. A standout student-athlete at the University of Washington from 2015-19, Alvelo was a four-time All-Pac-12 selection and a two-time All-American. She helped lead the Huskies to three Women’s College World Series berths and a national runner-up finish in 2018. Alvelo closed out her career at Washington ranked second on the program’s all-time lists in strikeouts (895) and wins (102). She is one of only three players to have recorded 300 strikeouts in a single season in Washington program history. In 2019, she was named to the All-Women’s College World Series Team and was recognized as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2016. Alvelo was a finalist for the 2018 USA Softball Player of the Year and was on the final list for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award. Alvelo joins the staff after serving as a volunteer assistant coach with Florida International University during the 2023 season where she oversaw the entire pitching staff during practices and scrimmages, as well as assisting with in-game preparation. As a volunteer with the University of Louisiana-Lafayette in 2020, she assisted the pitching coach and helped organize practices and in-game charting. Professionally, Alvelo was a member of Athletics Unlimited Softball from 2021-22 and is now a current member o