Colby College

Lindsay Johnson enters her fifth season as the Head Coach of Colby Volleyball with the 2025-26 academic year. Johnson, who has previously served as the Associate Head Coach at Elmhurst University leading the Bluejays to numerous NCAA tournament appearances, was an All-American setter during her playing career. 

In a historic 2024 season, Johnson led the nationally ranked Mules to an undefeated (10-0) regular season conference record and 25-4 overall record. After battling in the NESCAC Championship game, Colby earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time since 2005 advancing to the second round. Following the highly successful season, Johnson was named the AVCA Region 1 Coach of the Year on top of earning the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year award. Three of her players earned All-American honors, the first Colby Volleyball selections since 2005. Cyanne Jones '28, an honorable mention and the Volleyball All-American Freshman of the Year for Region 1, Brady Moseley '27 a third team selection and LJ Grant '26 an honorable mention. 

In Johnson's third season coaching the Mules, she led the team to a 17-8 record while earning a regional ranking for the second straight year. Heading into the postseason, the team claimed the two seed in the NESCAC to host a conference tournament game for the first time since 2005. In that same year, Johnson coached All-Conference honoree Brady Moseley '27 and All-Region honoree Reanna Yadao '27.

In 2022, she led the Mules to a 14-9 overall record and a NCAA regional ranking for the first time since 2005. On top of that, the team advanced to the conference tournament for the first time since 2015 and for the third time in program history. One of Johnson's athletes, Sydney Sick '26, was named conference player of the week during the season.
 
During Johnson's college career at Elmhurst she averaged 11.52 assists per game (school record) and in 2004 she led all of Division III setting an Elmhurst single-season record with 1,837 assists which ranks the fifth-highest single-season total in Division III history (under the 30-point rally scoring system).  Johnson also earned CCIW (College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) Player of the Year accolades as well as AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) All-America honors. Her name now resides in the Bluejay Backer Hall of Fame for her tremendous playing career. 

Later Johnson returned to her alma mater to help grow the program into one known across the region.  Serving as the recruiting coordinator since 2008, she quickly was tabbed Associate Head Coach four years later.  From 2011-2015, the Elmhurst program won two CCIW conference titles and secured five consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament.  In 2013, their 37-5 overall record advanced the Bluejays to the Sweet 16, and in 2014 the team earned their fourth consecutive 30-win season.
 
Johnson recruited and mentored 30 All-CCIW players, 10 All-Americans, and two CCIW Players of the Year.  She also guided her players to successes off the court, as 15 of her athletes have earned Academic All-American status, and five were honored as the Elmhurst Female Athlete of the Year. Johnson is now well known for both her playing and coaching career at Elmhurst. 
 
Johnson spent part of the 2011-12 year finishing her master's degree at Durham University in England, where she had a chance to return to playing.  In her familiar role as setter, she guided Durham to a league division championship before qualifying for the Northumbria National Team.  That year, Northumbria won a national championship, and Johnson was named tournament Most Valuable Player.