COACHING STAFF


HEAD COACH NIKKI PALMER

The third softball head coach in Utah Valley's NCAA Division I history, Nikki Palmer made history in 2014 during her first season at the helm of the Wolverines. With four consecutive wins at the program's first-ever WAC Tournament in Seattle, Washington, UVU Softball became the first team in the school's NCAA era to earn a berth in the postseason. In leading her team to the monumental feat in only her first season, Palmer became the first head coach at UVU to take a team into the postseason.

In her second season at the helm (2015), Palmer continued to excel as she guided UVU softball to its first-ever win over a nationally ranked opponent by shutting out No. 25 Cal State Fullerton, 9-0, in a run-rule shortened six innings. She also helped her team lead the nation in double plays that season by turning a school record 45 of them for an average of 0.76 double plays per game. 

Again this past season (2016), Palmer and her Wolverines managed to shine on the diamond as they broke a number of school records. Her 2016 squad not only set the highest stolen base percentage mark in program history with an .833 clip (50-of-60), but also a new record for total walks in a season with 181, as well as throwing out the most would-be base stealers with 25 and picking off the most runners with five. Individually, senior speedster Morgan Smith also became the program's all-time stolen base leader (61), all-time triples leader (11), leader in career games played (219) and single-season stolen base record holder (24), while junior pitcher Bailey Moore became the program's career leader in total appearances (127), games finished (37) and most groundouts (817). The 2016 team also shined in the classroom as it put up one of the highest term GPA's in program history with a 3.30 spring semester GPA as well as having 13 student-athletes named Academic All-WAC. 

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Assistant Coach Krystin Jachim

Krystin Jachim (pronounced Jack – um) will enter her second season as Coach Palmer's top assistant in 2017. Jachim, who finished her playing career in a Wolverine uniform in 2013, spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons as a volunteer assistant on Palmer's staff before being promoted to the top assistant prior to the 2016 campaign.

During her first year of coaching at UVU in 2014, Jachim helped lead the Wolverines to perfect 4-0 record at the WAC Tournament en route to claiming the conference tournament title. That season, she was a member of the first coaching staff in UVU's NCAA Division I history to lead a team into the NCAA postseason. In 2015, Jachim -- who was a shortstop in her playing days -- helped the Wolverines lead the nation in double plays turned with 45, as well as make another deep run at the 2015 WAC Tournament. This past season (2016), Jachim once again helped the Wolverines to first-round victory at the WAC Tournament as well as shatter a number of school records.  

Jachim has worked primarily with infielders and hitters during her time on staff at UVU. She has also helped organize and instruct at the team's camps, along with helping with recruiting.

Jachim began her collegiate career at Salt Lake Community College, where she earned All-America honors during her sophomore campaign in 2011, prior to transferring to Utah Valley for her junior and senior seasons (2012 and 2013). The shortstop was a two-time all-conference performer during her stellar two-year career at UVU, as she batted .340 with 14 home runs, 21 doubles, 68 runs batted in, 162 assists and 171 putouts while playing in all 115 games. During her senior season she not only helped lead the Wolverines to a school record 35 victories, but also topped the team in batting average (.375), doubles (12), RBIs (33), on-base percentage (.444) and walks (20). She was also a three-time conference player of the week during her time in Orem, as well as a Great West Conference champion in 2012.

The native of Roy, Utah and graduate of Roy High School was a three-time All-State selection and a state champion during her high school days. Jachim was also a two-time All-Region player at SLCC and hit an astonishing .472 with 19 home runs and 100 RBIs during her All-American season in 2011.

Jachim received her bachelor's degree in exercise science from Utah Valley in 2014 and is planning on pursing a master's degree in the near future.