Assistant Coach Joe Lynch

Joe Lynch, head coach Christy Johnson’s first hire, completed his third year with Iowa State in 2007. Lynch’s primary responsibilities are defensive training.

In Lynch’s first three years, ISU established itself as one of the top defensive programs in the Big 12, posting the top three blocking seasons in school history and landing its first conference leader (Katie Churm in 2005, 4.35 dpg) in school history.

The Cyclones have broken the school record for block assists in each of Lynch’s first three seasons, racking up an impressive 662 block assists in 2007. ISU averaged 3.28 blocks per game to finish ninth in the country. Ashley Mass was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team last season after becoming just the third player in school history to top 500 digs with 532. As a team, ISU led the Big 12 with 18.08 digs per game in conference matches and was second in the league in blocks.

The Cyclones held their 2007 opposition to a .188 hitting percentage, which was third in the conference.

In 2006 Iowa State ranked 12th in the country, averaging 3.30 blocks, led by Erin Boeve, who was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the conference. Churm also became just the third player in school history to record 400+ digs in back-to-back seasons.

Lynch came to the Cyclones as one of the most highly experienced club and prep coaches in the Midwest. The Wauwatosa, Wis., native has spent his career on the sidelines at the prep and club level, building some of the most successful high school and club teams in the state of Wisconsin following his successful playing career. His efforts have earned him national accolades as one of the most highly respected prep coaches.

One of the most dramatic changes on the volleyball scene over the past decade has been the explosive growth of club volleyball teams throughout the Midwest and the entire nation. Having served so long at the prep and club level, Lynch brings a wealth of knowledge, a tradition of achievement and a tremendous network of contacts to ISU’s program.

Lynch affirmed his ability as a coach at the junior level and cemented his reputation as one of the finest prep coaches in the nation in 2005, when he was honored as the AVCA Prep Coach of the Year. His efforts brought national recognition to the ISU staff early in its tenure.

Lynch is an accomplished coach and player with over 25 seasons as head coach of several prominent high school and club teams in Wisconsin. He has two state titles and eight conference crowns as a head coach and has earned several honors as a player.

A 1998 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Lynch earned a degree in education. At UW-Milwaukee, Lynch competed on the men’s volleyball team, starting three seasons and serving as team captain for two of those campaigns. He was a second-team all-conference performer in 1993.

Lynch was a member of a USVBA men’s team from 1994 to 2002 and earned a spot on the USVBA All-Rookie team in 1994, earning second team All-America honors that season. He led his team to a fourth-place finish in 1997 and seventh-place distinction in 1994.

During his playing days, Lynch also embarked on a successful coaching career. He worked at a number of summer camps prior to becoming the head volleyball coach at Milwaukee-St. Joan Antida High School in 1990. In 1991, Lynch took the top job at Wauwatosa East in his hometown and promptly led the Red Raiders to eight conference crowns, four runner-up finishes at the Wisconsin state tournament and state championships in 1992 and 1994.

Lynch also served as an assistant at his alma mater in 1996 and as the head coach of the Milwaukee Sting volleyball club beginning in 1990. The Sting captured a national championship in 2004 in the 16-year old division, while earning five other top-three finishes in both the 16- and 18-year old group competitions. Lynch has also served as a member of the Board of Directors and as camp director for the Sting.

Lynch is the husband of ISU head coach Christy Johnson. 

Assistant Coach Dawn Sullivan

Dawn Sullivan completed her third year as an assistant coach with Iowa State in 2007. Sullivan has a tremendous background of success as both a player and a coach.

Sullivan’s primary responsibilities include coaching outside hitters and recruiting. In two years under Sullivan, the Cyclones have recorded three of the top-10 single-season hitting percentages in school history, including a .230 percentage in 2006 which ranked second all-time.

Sullivan came to Iowa State after serving as an assistant coach and associate head coach at Illinois State for three seasons, helping build a strong Redbird volleyball tradition. Her playing career at Kansas State was brilliant. Sullivan, like ISU head coach Christy Johnson, is one of the best players in Big Eight/Big 12 Conference history. The former KSU All-American still ranks prominently in the Wildcat and Big 12 record books.

As a coach, Sullivan was instrumental in helping Illinois State post winning seasons in each of her three years in Normal, Ill. Sullivan helped the Redbirds post their 23rd consecutive winning season in 2004. In her three years at Illinois State, three Redbirds earned all-conference honors. Her efforts helped Illinois State draw tremendous crowds that ranked among the top 20 nationally in attendance in 2003.

Sullivan also helped forge a strong alumni support system through her organization of an annual alumni reunion gathering, in addition to assisting in the foundation of “Point Illinois State,” a booster club designed specifically for Redbird volleyball. She was a key member of the Illinois State athletic department and was a highly respected ambassador for the Redbird volleyball program.

Sullivan’s coaching career also includes a stint as a student assistant at Kansas State and as a club coach with the Flint Volleyball Club in Manhattan, Kan.

Sullivan was a record-setting collegiate player at Kansas State. The 5-10 outside hitter, who played for the Wildcats from 1996-99, racked up 1,611 kills and 1,258 digs in her remarkable career, one of only five KSU players to record more than 1,000 kills and digs in a career. Sullivan ranks third all-time in both digs and kills in Wildcat history.

Named an All-American and all-Big 12 as a senior, Sullivan captained the 1999 Wildcat squad, which made the school’s fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance en route to Kansas College Female-Athlete-of-the-Year honors in 2000. Sullivan also earned first-team academic all-Big 12 distinction in each of her four seasons at KSU. Following graduation, Sullivan played professionally for the Grand Rapids Force of the United States Professional Volleyball League.

Sullivan and her husband, Josh, have three daughters, Katie, Sarah and Emily.

Director of Operations Jessica Klein