FORT MYERS, Fla.- Florida SouthWestern slugger Virginia Mambelli is headed to the Heart of Dixie next year after signing with the University of South Alabama for the 2025-2026 campaign.

Mambelli earned NJCAA All-American honors for the Bucs this season, starting all 63 games and hitting .372 with 15 doubles and 6 home runs while knocking in 54 runs for the second straight season.  She had 17 multi-hit games for FSW and drove in two or more runs 13 different times. She was a two time 1^st Team All-Conference and two time All-FCSAA selection for the Bucs while also starring in the classroom where she was a CSC Academic All-District selection this year. She wrapped up her Buccaneer career as a .378 hitter with 30 doubles which tied for second most in program history while driving in 108 runs which also ranked in the Top 10 all time.

She led FSW to a pair of Conference Championships in her time in Fort Myers and two trips to the NJCAA World Series where the Bucs finished 7^th in 2024 and as National Runners-Up this season. Overall FSW was 113-17 in her two years.

Mambelli heads to South Alabama to join a Jags squad that was 20-31 a season ago and 9-14 in Sun Belt Conference action. South Alabama is just one year removed from a 34 win season which saw them reach the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history.

Mambelli is one of three Bucs to sign at the Division I level and one of four overall to sign to move on, joining Emilly Allegood (Campbell), Leah Meyer (Abilene Christian), and Faith Wharton (Eckerd).