MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Head Coach Beth Curtiss announced the addition of assistant coaches Kaitlyn Brannstrom and Lyndsey Sears to the Allegheny College softball coaching staff ahead of her 15th season leading the Gators in the spring of 2027.

Brannstrom and Sears join volunteer assistant coaches Cameron Long '25 and Bill Strub, who enter their second and third years, respectively, in the Allegheny dugout.

A former Division I student-athlete, Brannstrom played softball at Purdue University, Grand Canyon University, and the University of Pittsburgh. In her debut season at Purdue in 2021, she was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after batting .275 with a team-high five home runs and 30 RBIs. Brannstrom then transferred to GCU, where she helped the Lopes win back-to-back Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championships with a combined record of 97-26 in 2023 and 2024. In two years at Grand Canyon, Brannstrom hit .312 with 11 home runs and 57 RBIs. As a graduate student at Pitt, she started 51 games at first base, leading the Panthers in walks (29) while ranking second in on-base percentage (.390) and fourth in home runs (5).

Last spring, Brannstrom began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Union Commonwealth University, an NAIA program in Barbourville, Kentucky. With the Bulldogs, she assisted with offensive development and hitting instruction while coaching the outfielders. She also helped manage team nutrition, strength and conditioning, and recruiting efforts.

Brannstrom graduated from Grand Canyon with a bachelor's degree in finance and economics in 2024. The Portage, Michigan, native is currently pursuing a master's in sports management from Union.

Allegheny's Assistant Director for the Center of Career and Professional Development, Sears will join the Gator coaching staff this season after a successful playing career at Ferrum College. A standout two-way player, Sears posted a 3.16 earned-run average with 31 wins and 286 strikeouts in the pitcher's circle. At the plate, she hit .348 with 94 hits, 15 home runs, and 81 RBIs. Sears was included on the All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Second Team in 2022 and All-ODAC Third Team in 2023. 

Originally from Forest City, North Carolina, Sears earned a bachelor's in exercise science from Ferrum in 2023 and recently completed her master's in business administration from Averett University this spring. Before joining Allegheny, she served as coordinator of athletics programming and operations at Averett.