Ashley Holcombe Bell enters her second season as an assistant coach with the Samford softball program.
Prior to coming to Samford, Holcombe Bell spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at her alma mater, the University of Alabama. She served the staff as the director of softball operations in 2010 and as a student coach and manager last season.
Holcombe Bell has been a member of the United States Softball Women's National Team since 2009. She played on the team that recently won the gold medal at the Pan American Games and the World Cup of Softball. She was also on gold medal winning teams at the World Championship (2010), Japan Cup (2010), KFC World Cup of Softball (2009 and 2010), Pan American Qualifier (2009) and Canada Cup (2009). Holcombe Bell's team also won the silver medal at the Canadian Open in 2011. She was named the Top Catcher and an All-Star at the Canadian Open. She also played in the National Pro Fast-pitch League (NPF) in 2009 and 2010.
She also played on the Rockford Thunder team that won the NPF in 2009 and on the second-place Chicago Bandits in 2010.
Holcombe Bell played collegiately at Alabama from 2006 to 2009 where she was a teammate of Burford's. She helped lead Alabama to the Southeastern Conference championship in 2006, and to Women's College World Series appearances in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Her teams reached the Super Regional round in all four of her seasons in an Alabama uniform. She was named ESPN All-American in 2009, and second team All-SEC in 2006 and 2008. Holcombe Bell was named to the SEC Defensive Team in 2008 and 2009, and to the SEC All-Tournament team in 2009.
Not only was Holcombe Bell successful on the field, but she was a standout in the classroom as well. She was named to the SEC Honor Roll and to Alabama's Dean's List for four-straight seasons. She was also named to the second team of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team.
Holcombe Bell has earned two degrees from the University of Alabama. She earned her Bachelor's degree in commerce and business administration in 2009, and her Master's in Human Environmental Sciences in 2011.
