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Holly

Van Vlymen Makes Her Return to the Dugout

The 2012 WIU Athletics' Hall of Fame inductee will be back in action as the interim head softball coach.

MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois University is home for Holly Van Vlymen. She is a former Leatherneck student-athlete, the first coach to guide the softball program to an NCAA Tournament win, and as of 2017, WIU's Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Services and Student-Athlete Development.
 
The WIU Athletics Hall of Famer returns to the dugout next season, where she will serve as the interim head softball coach. The post will begin immediately and was announced on November 13, 2019.
 
"I'm excited to be back and to be able to lead such a great group of young women," said Van Vlymen. "This program and the student-athletes, present, and past, will always hold a special place in my heart."
  
"Holly has such a love for the program that she was willing to come back to coaching this year, and I'm grateful for that," said Director of Athletics Danielle Suprenant. "It made sense. It seemed fitting, and I'm excited to welcome Holly back for the 2019-2020 season as the interim head softball coach." 
 
In eleven seasons, Western Illinois head softball coach Holly Van Vlymen led the Fighting Leathernecks to the school's first NCAA Tournament win, a Summit League Tournament title, and three regular-season conference titles, as well as being named the conference's Coach of the Year three times.
 
On September 21, 2012, Van Vlyman was inducted into the Western Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame. One of the most dominant pitchers in Western Illinois and Mid-Continent Conference history, Van Vlymen, was a four-time All-Conference performer during her playing days at Western from 1996-2000.
 
The former Holly Killion set all but one of Western's career pitching records during her four seasons in Macomb. She finished her career ranked first in career wins (74), strikeouts (880), strikeouts per inning (1.09), appearances (137), complete games (97), and innings pitched (809.1). Van Vlymen's 1.39 career earned run average is fourth-best all-time, and her 880 strikeouts are 117 more than second-place Kamren Ferguson on the all-time list.

The four-time all-conference honoree went on to play professionally after completing her collegiate eligibility, helping the Ohio Pride to a second-place finish in the Women's Professional Softball League.
 
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