Carisa Millsap-Kalaba

Carissa Millsap-Kalaba (Cal-uh-ba) enters her second season at Utah State after a successful first season.

During her first season at the helm of the Aggie squad, USU went 20-30, winning twice as many games than the 2009 team. USU ended the season 5-14 in Western Athletic Conference action.The Aggies had a marquee win on Feb. 19 defeating then-No. 1 and defending Women’s College World Series champion Washington, 7-4.

Under Millsap-Kalaba, eight players earned academic all-WAC honors in 2010. Senior outfielder Nicole Rupp-Tindall earned first-team all-WAC honors, becoming just the fourth Aggie to earn first-team all-WAC honors.

Millsap-Kalaba came to Utah State after five seasons as the head coach at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif. Biola is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). While at Biola, Millsap-Kalaba led the Eagles to five-straight playoff appearances, the longest streak in the program’s 17-year history. Her teams also finished no lower than fifth in the tough Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC), posting an overall mark of 59-61. During her tenure at Biola, she compiled an overall record of 143-93 (.606 winning percentage), averaging just under 29 wins per year.

Under Millsap-Kalaba, the Eagles ended the 2009 season with a record of 19-21, advancing to the GSAC Tournament as the fifth-seed, falling to Azusa Pacific. Biola was third in the conference with a 1.84 ERA and fourth in batting with a .273 team average.

In her first four seasons at Biola, the Eagles averaged 31 wins per year. In 2005, she led the Eagles to a 34-16 mark and the team’s first NAIA Region II appearance in three seasons. In 2006, she led Biola to a 32-14 record, which was third-best season in the program’s history.

In addition to coaching at Biola, Millsap-Kalaba coached the Jets Gold U18 team from 2002-2009. She was also the head coach at Arcadia High School in Arcadia, Calif., from 2000-04.

Millsap-Kalaba started her collegiate career at Hofstra University, playing there from 1996-97. After transferring to powerhouse UCLA, she was a catcher and utility player from 1997-99, helping the Bruins to the Women’s College World Series title in 1999. A 2000 graduate of UCLA, she earned her bachelor’s degree in history.

The former Carissa Millsap is married to Joe Kalaba, who is the travel coordinator for the Utah State Athletics Department.

Nikki Palmer was added to the softball staff as an assistant coach in July 2010.

Palmer comes to Utah State after completing her second season as an assistant coach at San Francisco State. Last year, she assisted in the Gators’ second consecutive winning season and two players being named to the all-CCAA Team.

Prior to San Francisco State, Palmer was an assistant coach at UC San Diego. She primarily coached the catchers and pitchers as well as overseeing offensive and defensive drills. In 2008, the Tritons advanced to the NCAA Division II Regional. UC San Diego ended the season with a 32-24 record.

Prior to UC San Diego, she was the head softball coach for the Fury Travel Softball Program for U-16 and U-14 in Temecula, Calif.

While attending UC San Diego, Palmer was a member of the 2007 team that participated in the CCAA Conference Championships and NCAA Regionals.

Palmer graduated from UC San Diego in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in arts and sociology and a minor in communications. She completed her master’s of arts in teaching from National University in May.

Palmer is a native of Temecula, Calif., and is a 2003 graduate of Temecula Valley High School.

Chelsea Cantillo came to Utah State in the summer of 2010.

Cantillo played at the University of Georgia from 2005-07. In 2006, the Bulldogs won their third Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title and advanced to NCAA Regionals. She finished the season with a .354 batting average with 32 RBI and earned SEC all-freshman honors. Cantillo was named second-team all-SEC as a freshman.

In 2007, Georgia once again advanced to NCAA Regionals, falling one game shy of making NCAA Super Regionals. Cantillo also worked as a student coach and a student strength and conditioning coach her final two seasons at Georgia.

Cantillo graduated in 2009 with a degree in sociology and is currently working toward her master’s degree in education at Utah State.

Following graduation from Georgia, Cantillo was a coach at Aliso Niguel High School in California.

The Santa Ana, Calif., native graduated from Foothill High School in 2005.

Her sister, Taylor, currently plays softball at the University of Mississippi. Her younger sister, Brooke, plays softball for the 12 and under So-Cal Athletics traveling team.