First year assistant coach Megan Ciolli brings expertise as well as enthusiasm to the NIU softball program. Like head coach Lindsay Chouinard and assistant coach Kara Amundson, Ciolli also has impressive athletic and academic credentials.

"I am extremely excited to have Megan coaching at Northern Illinois. She is a great teacher of the game who really understands softball technically both offensively and defensively. She has a great passion and zest for the game which will be infectious throughout the team."

Ciolli joins the NIU softball coaching staff after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Loyola University (Chicago) from 2005-2007. Ciolli trained multiple All-Region players throughout her tenure with the Ramblers while helping to transform Loyola from a middle of the road conference finish to regular season champions of the Horizon League in 2007. At the culmination of the 2007 season, the Rambler coaching staff was also voted as Horizon League Coaching Staff of the Year.

A standout collegiate player for Notre Dame, Ciolli was twice honored as team captain as well as third team Louisville Slugger All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. In 2004, Ciolli was also selected as the Big East Player of the Year. In her senior season, she led the team in batting average (.386), slugging percentage (.500), on-base percentage (.424), runs scored (40) and broke a school record with stolen bases in a single season with 32. Ciolli's offensive efforts helped the Irish to an overall 45-13, Big East 16-2 record that was good for the conference regular season title in 2005 and their fourth straight bid to the NCAA Tournament.

While playing centerfield for the Fighting Irish, Ciolli's consistent offensive output landed her on many pages of the Irish record book. She became the sixth Irish softball player to earn multiple All-America honors in a four-year career and is the Notre Dame all-time leader in hits (284) and stolen bases (76). Ciolli ranks second all-time in batting average (.368), at-bats (771) and runs (161), and ranks in the top 10 all-time in doubles, triples, home runs and RBI.

Following her career at Notre Dame, Ciolli was drafted as the first pick in the second round to the National Professional Fastpitch Chicago Bandits where she teamed with Chouinard to help the Bandits to back to back regular season championships in 2005 and 2006. As centerfielder for the Bandits in 2005, Ciolli recorded a perfect fielding percentage by not making an error while starting every game.

In May 2005, Ciolli received her bachelor's degree in managerial consulting from the University of Notre Dame du Lac. In May 2007, Ciolli received her Masters of Business Administration in healthcare administration from Loyola.

Born and raised in Terre Haute, Ind., Ciolli was a soccer and softball standout at Terre Haute North Vigo High School. She was the 2001 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year as well as 2001 Indiana Miss Softball.