Intercollegiate women’s softball began competition at UNC Greensboro in 1976. The 1976 Pine Needles yearbook notes, “softball was a first for the Spartans this year, and the team did excepionally well. They were very tough competitors and they fought like champs.” The team competed as part of the North Carolina Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), as the NCAA did not sanction any women’s championships at the time. Home games were played at Lindley Park. In Spring 1977, the team won the NC AIAW state championship.
In 1981-1982, the women’s athletics programs moved from the AIAW to the NCAA Division III, competing in the Dixie Conference. UNCG moved up to NCAA Division II in 1988 and then to Division I in 1991. From 1992 until 1997, the team competed in the Big South Conference.
In 1998, the Spartans joined the Southern Conference (SoCon). UNCG Softball won six-straight SoCon regular season titles between 2017 and 2023 (excluding the COVID year in 2020). In 2018, 2021, and 2023, they won the SoCon Conference Tournament.
Head Coaches:
Sandy Johnson 1976 – 1979
Oleta Speeler 1979-1982
Tere Dail 1982-1988
Mary Jo Campbell 1988-1991
Melody Cope 1991 – 1998
Katie Flynn 1998 – 2001
Karen Lee Matteson 2001 – 2003
Stephanie DeFeo 2003 – 2006
Jennifer Herzig 2006 – 2014
Janelle Breneman 2014 – Current