Choosing a university can be a winding and difficult journey. For Florida Gulf Coast University softball standout Olivia “Oli” Black, the confluence of her passions for forensic studies and softball put her on the road to Fort Myers.

“Softball captured my heart from the minute I stepped onto the field,” she said. “I was blessed that my dad was my first head coach. Being able to build that bond with my dad through our shared love of sports was instrumental in deepening our relationship.”

Black picked up her glove and bat at 7 years old. Growing up on a ranch in Fort Pierce, surrounded by animals and active in 4-H, she initially wanted to become a veterinarian. That ambition eventually evolved into an interest in forensic science, while her softball skills and resume continued to develop. During her senior high school season, she batted .686, averaging over two hits a game. She had the credentials for Division I softball.

When she began considering schools, softball was important but the academic experience was paramount, too. On her visit to FGCU during the 2021-22 school year, she met with then-softball head coach David “DD” Deiros, who also teaches chemistry.  It was then that the future Eagle began to realize she was going to land at The Nest.

“I knew that I wanted to go to an academically rigorous school,” Black said. “When I met with DD, one of my favorite things about him was how much he cares about academics.”

Impressing on and off field

Deiros recalled experiencing an “aha” moment when he realized FGCU had to recruit her. It happened while watching her play in the Atlanta Legacy Tournament. 

“Oli was playing center field when the hitter hit a routine fly ball to right field. Oli got to that spot quicker than the outfielder who was significantly closer. The fact that she took an incredibly efficient route and was fast enough to get there first showed that she would be an outstanding college outfielder,” Deiros said. “It also didn’t hurt that she turned a routinely batted single into a triple in the same game.”

Black had clearly shown herself to be a star on the diamond, but it was off the diamond that she made her biggest impression on Deiros.

“What stood out to me in my recruiting conversations with Oli were our discussions about her involvement with 4-H. We would rarely talk softball and mostly discuss her time with Ice-T, the steer she was raising,” Deiros said.

“The two things that stood out the most were the discipline she demonstrated raising a 2,000-pound steer and the respect and reverence she showed her parents. Their relationship is loving and rock solid. I had no doubts she was going to treat her teammates and coaches the same.”

Balancing commitments

After her campus visit, Black weighed the pros and cons of the schools on her short list with her mother, who’s a teacher.

“The forensic studies program was definitely one of those things that stuck out to me,” Black said. “It was very intriguing when I looked up FGCU’s program.”

The speed with which she completed that undergraduate program matched the swiftness she demonstrates on the field. As Deiros put it, “It was obvious to me when recruiting Oli that she is the fastest player we’ve ever had and an exceptional student.”

In just five semesters, Black graduated with her bachelor’s degree and a 4.0 GPA — thanks in part to dual-enrollment credits.

She did this all while fulfilling her requirements as a Division I student-athlete and also working with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and interning at the Emergent Technologies Institute at FGCU. Through her work, she has gained hands-on experience assisting in crime scene investigations.

“The lab itself is a professional functioning lab,” Black explained. “We receive casework from all over Florida. It includes death investigations or homicide, but sometimes it can be archaeological, which is really cool, too.”

Working at the lab proved to be a test for Black. “When I started my internship, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you what I wanted to do for sure,” she said. “I went into DD’s office, and he made me sit there and tell him about my options. He told me not to settle.”

It became clear that the forensic studies master’s program would be the toughest choice, but Black would not settle for less. At 21, she is the youngest graduate student in the program.

Final year of eligibility

Black’s legacy with FGCU’s softball team, which has not yet been fully written, is already expansive. She set records for stealing bases each season. With 83 career steals, she’s on pace to become the first in FGCU softball’s Division I era to steal 100 bases. In 2025, she set the single-season stolen base record in the DI era with 38 stolen bases while leading the team in slugging percentage, runs scored and triples. This led to her earning second team All-ASUN honors.

Black’s success on and off the field has resulted in two Academic All-ASUN team honors and two College Sports Communicators Academic All-District awards. She also serves as president of FGCU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where she leads 30 peer representatives and organizes events and initiatives for student-athletes.

As Black enters her final year of athletic eligibility and her final semesters pursuing her master’s degree, one thing is certain: She will keep setting the pace wherever she goes.