After the Whistle: Cape’s Ava Calciano

LEWES, Del. – “I’ve always had big dreams about being a big time player, and I still do. I have really big goals for myself and hold myself to a high standard.”

Cape Henlopen’s Ava Calciano has been chasing her softball dreams for as long as she can remember, and now she’s catching up to them.

Already committed to play Division 1 at the University of Connecticut, the senior has earned her stripes on the diamond with impressive versatility. “I can do a lot of different things. I’m really fast, and I can also hit for power at the same time…I also take a lot of pride in my fielding. I work very hard at everything,” Calciano said.

As a 2024 1st team all-state selection, Calciano racked up 24 RBI, 17 walks, 5 home runs, and led her team with 30 runs scored. The shortstop helped bring the Vikings to the DIAA state semifinals, Cape softball’s deepest postseason run in over a decade. Calciano said, “Making it to the semifinals meant everything to this team. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top, but I think that’s going to be a chip on our shoulder this year.”

With the 2025 playoffs in the back of their mind, Calciano’s crew isn’t losing sight of the process. “Obviously we have goals this season and we want to win. But right now, we’re focused on winning the first game.”

Calciano said her journey has included a long list of lessons learned and sacrifices made for the game she loves, so she had some advice for those young players chasing big dreams of their own: “I think there are just some things that you have to be willing to do to get to the next level, so work hard and be a good person.”

Calciano said that her ultimate goal is to coach softball at the college level, following in the footsteps of her parents, who both coached college athletics.