Riley Zana joined the Owls as the softball team's assistant coach in September 2024.
Zana comes to Gambier after a four-year playing career at Coastal Carolina University, an NCAA Division I institution in Conway, South Carolina. While with the Chanticleers, Zana started every game over her final three seasons and was a career .302 hitter who tallied 170 hits, 122 runs batted in, 35 doubles, and 25 home runs over her four seasons while posting a .501 slugging percentage.
In addition to her accolades on the diamond, Zana also excelled off the field. The team captain earned recognition as a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athlete, a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honoree, a five-time President's List honoree, and a Dean's List recipient.
Zana brings in coaching experience as the Assistant Head Coach of the T3 Mavericks, a softball team that is part of T3 Performance, a training organization in Avon, Ohio. She has also worked as the Assistant Tournament Director for Fastpitch Showdown in Toledo, Ohio, and has worked to teach players as a private instructor for Leffew Fastpitch in North Ridgeville, Ohio.
A native of Elyria, Ohio, Zana graduated from Coastal Carolina in May 2024 with a bachelor's degree in Recreation and Sport Management.
