Renee Luers-Gillispie Head Coach - 12th Season with the Knights Renee Luers-Gillispie is in her 12th year at the helm of the UCF softball program in 20122013. Since starting the program in 2002, Gillispie has led the team to two conference championships and four NCAA Regional Tournament appearances. The Knights and Gillispie have a record of 402-284-1 over the last 11 years, while Gillispie owns an NCAA record of 607-460-3. Gillispie led the Knights to their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012. The Black and Gold earned 10 wins over fellow NCAA Tournament opponents to earn just the second at-large birth in program history. UCF also set a new program record for home wins in 2012 by going 27-4 at the UCF Softball Complex. Gillispie led her young Knights squad to a surprise run to the Conference USA semifinals after a 22-32 record in the 2011 regular season. Gillispie saw two players named to the All-C-USA team. Natalie Land earned a spot on the conference first team and finished as conference player of the year runner up. Tiffany Lane was named to the second team. Land and Abby McClain were named to the 11-member Conference USA All-Academic Team as voted on by the league’s sports information directors. Gillispie guided the Knights to their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament and their second appearance in the Conference USA Championship Game in 2010. The Black and Gold defeated No. 7 Alabama, No. 16 Tennessee and No. 22 Ohio State and earned the program’s first at-large bid into the regional tournament. Senior pitcher Ashleigh Cole garnered a spot on the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Northeast Region Second Team, while also earning a spot on the All-C-USA First Team. Cole was one of a program-record six Knights to make an all-league team. She was joined on the first team by Tiffany Lane and Natalie Land, while Hillary Barrow and Abby McClain were voted to the second team. Newcomer Marissa Menendez rounded out the selections with a spot on the all-freshman team. Following the 2009 season, Gillispie saw five players be named to All-C-USA teams. Lane was honored with a spot on the first team, while Breanne Javier and McClain garnered second-team honors. Land and Vanessa Perez rounded out the squad with spots on the all-freshman team. Javier also earned a spot on the Louisville Slugger/ NFCA All-Mideast Region First Team and signed a free-agent contract with the NPF’s USSSA Pride. Gillispie guided her squad to its most successful season on record in 2008, as the Knights claimed the program’s first Conference USA Championship crown with a victory over No. 9 Houston on
The Luers-Gillispie File
Name: Renee Luers-Gillispie Birthplace: Livermore, Calif. Hometown: Danville, Iowa High School: Danville High School, 1979 College: Kirkwood Community College, 1981 College: West Texas State, 1984 Experience: 11th season at UCF 20th overall as a head coach Juliet (Ill.) Junior College Position: Head Coach Tenure: 1991-92 Bradley University Position: Head Coach Tenure: 1993-95 Texas Tech University Position: Head Coach Tenure: 1996-99 UCF Position: Head Coach Tenure: 2000-present its home field, and fought its way to the NCAA Regional Championship Game with a win over No. 1 Florida. The team’s 49 wins on the season were the most in program history, while its 26 votes in the final NFCA Coaches Poll were its most tallies to date. Gillispie also posted her 500th career win in 2008. Allison Kime was named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region First Team for the second-consecutive season in 2008, while also
securing a spot on the All-C-USA First Team for the second-straight year. Javier was also a repeat honoree for the Knights on the All-C-USA First Team, while McClain and Lane both made appearances on the all-freshman squad. Marquita Council garnered the league’s co-newcomer of the year honor under Gillispie’s guidance, and both Cat Snapp and Ashley Van Ryn were voted onto the league’s All-Academic Team. Snapp also earned a spot on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III Second Team. The Black and Gold cruised through the C-USA Softball Championship with a 3-0 record, with Lane earning tournament MVP honors for her play throughout the event. Kime, Javier, Council and Barrow joined Lane on the all-tournament team, while the squad earned the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Five different players earned postseason awards for UCF in 2007, including Kime, who received all-southeast region and C-USA First Team honors as well as being named to the C-USA Championship All-Tournament Team. Javier joined Kime on the C-USA First Team and the C-USA Championship team, while Kacie Feaster claimed a spot on the C-USA First Team and the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District III First Team. Barrow made the C-USA All-Freshman Team while Cici Alvarez was a 2007 NCAA Division I Softball Statistical Champion after leading the nation with 32 sacrifice hits. In 2005, Gillispie led the Knights to their first Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship and the team received the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. In the NCAA Tourna-
This is UCF Softball 2013