{{short description|American softball player}} {{Infobox college coach |name = Kendra Falby |image = |image_size = |caption = |current_team = Florida Gators |number = |birth_date = |birth_place = |alma_mater = University of Florida |debutleague = |debutdate = |debutyear = |debutteam = |teams = |player_years1 = 2022–2025 |player_team1 = Florida |player_positions = Center fielder |coach_years1 = 2026–present |coach_team1 = Florida (Student asst.) |awards = * First-team All-SEC (2024, 2025) * Second-team All-SEC (2023) * Rawlings Gold Glove Award (2024, 2025) * Softball America Defensive Player of the Year (2025) * First-Team All-American (2025) }}
'''Kendra Falby''' is a Canadian former college softball player and current student assistant for Florida.
==High school career==
Falby attended Sunlake High School in Land O' Lakes, Florida.<ref name="maxpreps">{{Cite web|url=https://www.maxpreps.com/fl/land-o-lakes/sunlake-seahawks/athletes/kendra-falby/softball/stats/?careerid=e1cb86sthcgp9|title=Kendra Falby's Sunlake High School Softball Stats|access-date=January 19, 2026}}</ref> She was a member of the 2019 Canada U-19 Softball team that competed at the 2019 WBSC U-19 Women's Softball World Cup. She went 13-for-28 in 10 starts, helping the team to earn the bronze medal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2019-u19-womens-softball-world-cup/stats|title=Stats - U-19 Women's Softball World Cup 2019}}</ref> Falby was named the 2021 Sunshine Athletic Conference East Softball Player of the Year, slashing .678/.716/1.106.<ref name="maxpreps"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://primetimepreps.com/2021/06/01/sac-softball-teams-announced/|title=SAC softball teams announced|website=primetimepreps.com|access-date=January 20, 2026}}</ref> She also played for the Tennessee MOJO travel team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tnmojo.com/mojo-alumni-zoom-call-with-florida-gator-star-kendra-falby/|title=Mojo Alumni Zoom Call with Florida Gator Star Kendra Falby!|access-date=January 19, 2026|website=tnmojo.com}}</ref> She signed with Florida Gators softball on November 11, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatorcountry.com/feature/florida-gators-softball-signs-four-to-the-class-of-2021/|title=Florida Gators softball signs four to the Class of 2021|website=gatorcountry.com|access-date=January 19, 2026}}</ref>
==College career==
During the 2022 season, in her freshman year, Falby ranked third in the country in hits with 85.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatorcountry.com/feature/florida-gators-softball-puts-three-players-on-preseason-all-sec-team/|title=Florida Gators softball puts three players on Preseason All-SEC Team|website=gatorcountry.com|access-date=January 19, 2026}}</ref> She also stole 36 bases, displaying her speed during an inside-the-park home run against Mississippi State.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wcjb.com/2022/03/15/uf-softball-team-breaks-through-late-innings-tops-mississippi-state-3-0/|title=UF softball team breaks through in late innings, tops Mississippi State, 3-0|website=wcjb.com|access-date=January 19, 2026}}</ref> Falby went 2-for-4 with an RBI and 3 runs against Virginia Tech in an elimination game during Game 3 of the Blacksburg Super Regional to send the team to the 2022 Women's College World Series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-softball/boxscore/_/gameId/401441297|website=espn.com|access-date=January 19, 2026|title=Florida 12-0 Virginia Tech (May 29, 2022) Box Score - ESPN}}</ref> She slashed .392/.444/.493 during the year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://d1softball.com/player/1631841/|title=Kendra Falby D1 Softball|website=d1softball.com|access-date=January 20, 2026}}</ref>
During the 2023 season, as a sophomore, Falby tied the program single-game run record with four runs against Mercer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theausl.com/cascade/roster/kendra-falby/|title=Kendra Falby - Cascade - AUSL|access-date=January 19, 2026|website=theausl.com}}</ref> She also tied the program single-game triples record with two against Kentucky.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://floridagators.com/news/2023/5/6/softball-no-23-wildcats-even-series-with-no-16-gators|title=No. 23 Wildcats Even Series with No. 16 Gators - Florida|website=floridagators.com}}</ref>
Falby hit an inside-the-park home run against Oklahoma during the 2024 Women's College World Series in a game that Florida won to stave off elimination.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.ph/video/clip?id=40271077|title=Kendra Falby's 1st hit of the WCWS is an inside-the-park HR - ESPN Video|website=espn.ph|access-date=January 19, 2026}}</ref> Following the season she earned Rawlings Gold Glove honors at center field and was named to the All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Defensive Team.<ref name="Florida">{{Cite web|url=https://floridagators.com/sports/softball/roster/kendra-falby/17180|website=floridagators.com|access-date=January 19, 2026|title=Kendra Falby - Softball - Florida Gators}}</ref>
During her senior season, Falby tied the program record for runs with 259 and ranked second in hits with 337.<ref name="Florida"/> She earned multiple First-Team All-American selections, was named a Top 10 Finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, and was named the Softball America Defensive Player of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/onsi/softball/college/florida-s-kendra-falby-named-defender-of-the-year-by-softball-america|title=Florida's Kendra Falby Named Defender of the Year by Softball America|access-date=January 19, 2026|website=si.com}}</ref> On May 3, she stole a home run off of Oklahoma's Cydney Sanders that ranked number one on the SportsCenter Daily Top Ten Plays. She then stole home the following day to secure the series upset.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gainesville.com/story/sports/college/sec/2025/05/07/florida-softball-kendra-falby-four-year-best-center-field-taylor-shumaker-keagan-rothrock-tim-walton/83456572007/|website=gainesville.com|access-date=January 19, 2026|title=As Florida softball's Kendra Falby cements her legacy, her solo trips to Carrabba's continue}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/05/04/florida-gators-softball-oklahoma-sooners-sec-tim-walton-kendra-falby-patty-gasso/|title=Falby sends Gators softball on rise heading into SEC tourney|website=orlandosentinel.com|access-date=January 19, 2026}}</ref> The Gators once again returned to the Women's College World Series, where they were eliminated by Tennessee.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gainesville.com/story/sports/college/sec/2025/05/31/florida-softball-tim-walton-make-changes-latest-wcws-exit-gators-okc-ncaa-taylor-shumaker-gators/83960538007/|title=Florida softball’s former championship glory continues to fade after early WCWS exit|website=gainesville.com|access-date=January 19, 2026}}</ref>
==Professional career==
Falby was selected in the sixth round, 31st overall, by the Portland Cascade in the AUSL allocation draft. She announced ahead of the season that she would return to Florida as the first base coach for the 2026 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://floridagators.com/news/2026/1/16/kendra-falby-kara-hammock-join-softball-staff|title=Kendra Falby & Kara Hammock Join Softball Coaching Staff|access-date=January 19, 2026|website=floridagators.com}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://floridagators.com/sports/softball/roster/kendra-falby/17180 Florida Gators bio]
{{Softball America Defensive Player of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Falby, Kendra}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Florida Gators softball players Category:21st-century American sportswomen