At the beginning of the 2025 season, Iowa State head volleyball coach Christy Johnson-Lynch entered her 21st season at the head of the program. She is second, behind women’s basketball head coach Bill Fennelly, on the list of active head coaches with 20+ years leading the Cyclones.
In 2013, Johnson-Lynch became the longest tenured head coach in Iowa State volleyball history. She entered her ninth season with one thing at the center of the program: loyalty.
It all started in the Midwest… well, specifically Nebraska.
Prior to coaching, Johnson-Lynch was a name that everybody in the world of volleyball knew. In college, she led a powerhouse Nebraska program on the court as a setter from 1992-95.
In four years with the Huskers, Johnson-Lynch won two Big Eight titles, a national championship in 1995 and notched a record of 63-2 between her junior and senior seasons. Her record still stands as one of the best winning percentages of any setter in Nebraska history.
After a brief stint coaching at Millard North High School, she accepted a position as an assistant coach under the previous University of Wisconsin volleyball head coach Pete Waite. While at Wisconsin, the Badgers made appearances in the NCAA Tournament each of her four seasons.
“I tell people that I had a pretty cushy job at Wisconsin,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I liked everything about it and what [the program] stood for. That team was in a groove and the momentum just kept going.”
After four seasons with the Badgers, Johnson-Lynch had a decision to make. Her success at Wisconsin had garnered national attention and looped her name into multiple head coach openings across the country.
Among the multitude of programs interested, Iowa State caught Johnson-Lynch’s attention.
“Growing up in the Midwest, I’ve always loved it here,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I fell in love with [Ames], the community and everything about this place. I couldn’t say no.”
Transforming a weak program into a national contender
Prior to her arrival, Iowa State volleyball was coached by Linda Crum. Crum took over as the head coach of Iowa State in 1999, the same year Johnson-Lynch was hired at Wisconsin.
In six seasons as the head coach of Iowa State, Crum was an abysmal 39-135. The team never won more than four conference games in a season. At the time of her resignation in 2004, Crum’s conference record stood at an 8-112.
The Cyclones had only made an NCAA Tournament appearance once before 2004. Under head coach Jackie Nunez, the team had a second-round exit in 1995.
In her first season at the helm in 2005, Johnson-Lynch finished the season 16-15 with a 9-11 conference record. Her nine conference wins totaled more than Crum’s total conference wins from 1999-04.
“I was lucky to inherit a team with so much talent and a willingness to get better,” Johnson-Lynch said. “The goal in year one was pass, set and handle. Tough defense and being scrappy came naturally, and I really saw how confident that team grew to be.”
Since 2006, the Cyclones have made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances. Iowa State reached the Sweet 16 in five of those seasons and was eliminated in the Elite Eight twice.
Success builds loyalty. Loyalty builds championship teams
Seven active members of the Cyclone roster have played their entire careers at Iowa State, four of whom are in their final seasons.
Two incoming freshmen, Annalise Grant and Reagan Hanfelt, even played together at the club level while representing opposing schools in high school. According to Johnson-Lynch, dynamics like this not only help team chemistry but also contribute to team culture.
“It can be hard to keep people together in the modern landscape,” Johnson-Lynch said. “It can be a little contagious when one or two people move on, but when you have a team with great leaders who haven’t always had it easy, no question it helps with the stability of the program.”
Big moments lay the foundation for future success
Throughout her tenure, Johnson-Lynch has seen some of the biggest moments in program history. One win in particular against Texas in 2022 saw fans rush the court after the game, something that still gives current members of the Cyclone volleyball team chills.
“That win was a night I’ll never forget,” current senior outside hitter Maya Duckworth said. “Having a moment like that, my freshman year was incredible.”
According to Johnson-Lynch, moments like that are what make the ever-consuming job as the head coach worth it.
“That was a watershed moment in the program that I’ll never forget,” Johnson-Lynch said. “It’s something that the fans in attendance will always look back on as a core memory.”
According to senior setter Morgan Brandt, an Iowa native, she never loses sight of the biggest in-state rivalry, the Cy-Hawk Series.
“We’ve beaten [Iowa] every year I’ve been here,” Brandt said. “As someone who grew up here, it’s special and I love playing in that one.”
2025 has already seen new records. What’s next?
The Cyclones opened the non-conference slate with five consecutive sweeps earlier this season against Bucknell, Ohio, Milwaukee, Central Michigan and South Alabama.
The 15-0 start was the first time in program history that the Cyclones recorded a perfect start through five straight matches. Iowa State also led the nation in hitting percentages and kills after its 3-0 win over the Jaguars.
‘’You do your best from there to stay composed and keep moving forward,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Some days I feel like composure and keeping a level head is harder than others, but that’s just how it goes.”
Both Brandt and Duckworth are coming up on career achievements of their own. After this season’s match against Iowa, Brandt reached 3,000 career assists while Duckworth inched closer to 1,000 career kills.
Ahead of the 2025 conference opener against Utah, Duckworth stands only 60 kills away from 1,000 in her career with the Cyclones.
“My family and the entire family around this team makes it easy to do what I do,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Winning is only part of the job. Without the dedication from the team, this job wouldn’t be the same.”
