By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As Tennessee Tech head softball coach Danielle Penner looked to complete her staff, the veteran coach knew she wanted someone who was familiar with the competition in the Ohio Valley Conference and what it took to win the league.
When the opportunity arose to bring in Alli Robinson, a decorated student-athlete at UT Martin and in her days on the Division II level at West Virginia Wesleyan, Penner jumped at the chance to add her valuable experience to the Golden Eagle coaching staff.
"After spending the last two years at UT Martin, I am thrilled to be given a chance to remain in the Ohio Valley Conference and in the state of Tennessee to begin my coaching career," Robinson said. "The program is trending upward under Coach Penner's direction and I am really looking forward to coaching alongside a great staff. To be a part of a great team culture that has been built on and off the field here at Tech is exciting."
Robinson, a graduate student last season with the Skyhawks, had a tremendous season, earning all-OVC second-team honors. The Buckhannon, W. Va., native led UTM is batting last year with a .304 clip and 34 RBI, collecting eight doubles, 71 total bases and 41 hits. Robinson also had a .526 slugging mark, .908 OPS and .382 on-base percentage. She was named the Skyhawks' team MVP as the season closed.
She completed her master's degree in Sport Coaching and Performance this past spring.
Robinson has tremendous experience with camps, clinics, lessons and travel teams in both Tennessee and West Virginia. Her primary expertise has been with hitters, infielders and catchers. In her work, she has gained knowledge into the Synergy and 643 systems.
In addition to the All-OVC second-team honor, Robinson was named to the league's All-Newcomer Team in 2024 and was a two-time recipient of the OVC Academic Medal of Honor.
Before joining the UT Martin roster, Robinson was at West Virginia Wesleyan College from 2019 to 2023, earning her bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. While there, she was an honorable mention NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-American and was a first-team Academic All-District II selection by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) professional organization.
At WVW, Robinson was an All-Mountain East Conference first-teamer and a nominee for Player of the Year in 2022. That season, she led the conference in slugging percentage (.796), OPS (1.277), RBI (60) and home runs (14), while leading her team in doubles (16) and total bases (109).
Now joining the Golden Eagle staff, Robinson is excited to learn from her new coworker and mentor as she helps lead Tech Softball back to the program's storied heights.
"With Coach Penner's highly decorated playing career, her coaching knowledge and experience, I am eager to get to work with her and have her as a mentor," Robinson said. "I'm very thankful for the opportunity and look forward to competing for an OVC championship."
