AMES – No. 25 Iowa State battled it out with a fiery passion to claim an upset victory over No. 16 TCU Saturday night. Thanks to this win, the Cyclones’ head volleyball coach Christy Johnson-Lynch hit her 400th career win for Iowa State.
The match was tight throughout all four sets, with anticipation from the fans and players as they waited to honor Johnson-Lynch with this fantastic accomplishment.
Through the first and second sets, the Cyclones kicked it off with a nine-straight scoring run and three aces collectively. While they came up short in the third set, Iowa State was able to lock back in during the fourth set to claim a major Hilton magic victory.
When the celebratory buzzer rang out through the coliseum after the final fourth set point, it was impossible not to see the amount of love and excitement Johnson-Lynch was receiving from her players and the dedicated fans.
“These kinds of nights are the best, having a crowd like this cheering us on towards a win makes everything worth it,” Johnson-Lynch said. “The people out here are so special.”
Johnson-Lynch is in her 21st year of being Iowa State’s volleyball head coach, and she has had many successes throughout the years. She has certainly rewritten the narrative for the Cyclones team, as she holds the career record of 380-219 after 20 seasons, making her the third coach in Iowa State history to pass 350 wins. She was also named AVCA Central Region coach of the year in 2009 and 2022.
Throughout her coaching career, the Cyclones have qualified for the NCAA Championships in 16 of the last 20 seasons, advancing to the NCAA Regional Semifinals three times and the Regional Finals twice, in 2008 and 2011.
She has also made a significant impact on Big 12 play for the program, boasting a 207-138 record in this league and being named Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2009.
“Christy [Johnson-Lynch] is a very humble coach; she is not one to brag about her accolades or achievements,” redshirt junior outside hitter Nayeli Ti’a said. “The focus is always on the team.”
Johnson-Lynch is known for creating a great atmosphere for her players to compete in, demonstrating the impressive and motivating nature of her coaching. The team knows that she has faith in them and can trust her.
“She has really emphasized leaning on each other,” Ti’a said. “She is always motivating us to blend and form positive team chemistry on and off the court.”
Johnson Lynch achieved a fantastic milestone in her career and expressed her sincere gratitude to her team for making it possible.
“This team is pretty special because of who they are, the mix of talent and leadership,” Johnson-Lynch said. “When you have those two things, it makes a coach’s job pretty easy.”
