LA MIRADA, Calif. — Carissa Millsap-Kalaba, head softball coach at Biola University for the past five years, has announced her resignation.

Millsap-Kalaba, the seventh softball coach in the school's history, will be leaving to pursue a Master's Degree. During her tenure with the Eagles, she has compiled an overall record of 143-93 (.606 winning percentage), averaging just under 29 wins per season.

“Carissa did a wonderful job and I am thankful for the five years she served Biola as the softball coach,” said Biola University Athletic Director Dave Holmquist. “Upon completion of her graduate studies, I am confident that she will resume her coaching career with great success.”

While at Biola, Millsap-Kalaba guided the Eagles to five consecutive playoff appearances, the longest such streak in the program's 17-year history. Her teams also finished no lower than fifth in the always-tough Golden State Athletic Conference, posting an overall mark of 59-61.

The Eagles capped the 2009 season with a record of 19-21, ranking third in the conference with a 1.84 ERA and fourth in offense with a .273 team batting average. Biola reached the GSAC Tournament thanks to a fifth-place conference finish, falling to Azusa Pacific University in one of two first-round, play-in games.

In her previous four seasons, Millsap-Kalaba averaged 31 wins per year. In 2005, she led the Eagles to a 34-16 mark and the team's first NAIA Region II appearance in three seasons. She followed that up with a 32-14 record in the 2006 season, the third-best season in the program's history.