One of the most prolific hitters in program history, Nicole (Oliva) Chappas ’09 returned to campus as an assistant coach with the Manhattanville softball team in 2015.
Before returning to Manhattanville, Oliva most recently spent two years as the head varsity softball coach at Roy C. Ketcham High School in 2013 and 2014. The team posted a 19-4 mark and lost in the Section 1AA final in 2013, and Oliva was named the Section 1A Coach of the Year in 2014 after guiding the Indians to a second straight Section 1AA final appearance. She previously served as head coach of the varsity softball team at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in 2011-12.
Oliva became one of the best players ever to wear the Valiant uniform between 2006-09, leaving her name all over the school’s record books. A career .372 hitter, she graduated as Manhattanville’s all-time hits leader with her 180th hit on the final day of her career and was also first at the time among Valiants in games played. As a senior in 2009, she hit .435 with eight homers, a .771 slugging percentage and a .453 on-base percentage while also finishing the season with a program single-season record 101 total bases and 16 doubles.
The 2006 Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year, Oliva was a three-time First Team All-Conference selection and a 2006 ECAC All-Metro Region First Team pick. She currently ranks: third in doubles (46) and triples (9), fourth in hits (180), RBI (125) and at-bats (484), seventh in total bases (301) and games played (154), ninth in runs (113) and 10th in home runs (19).
Oliva graduated from Manhattanville in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and history, and also received her master’s degree in education from SUNY New Paltz in 2010.
