WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 11) – The Waynesburg University Department of Athletics is thrilled to announce the hiring of Hope Johnston as the school's new head women's volleyball coach. Johnston boasts a seasoned resume with experience at a pair of Division III institutions as well as in the club ranks.
"We are excited to welcome Hope to our athletic department," Tim Fusina, director of athletics, said. "Hope has a great amount of experience at the collegiate level and has worked under great head coaches, and that experience will allow her to connect with our student-athletes on many different levels. It is important to hire quality coaches with quality experience and we were very fortunate to find a coach of Hope's caliber to join our Athletic Department."
Johnston comes to Waynesburg after spending the 2023 season at Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) rival Westminster College as a graduate assistant coach. There, she was part of the staff that led the Titans to an appearance in the PAC Tournament, their first such appearance since 2021. Prior to Westminster, Johnston had a successful two-year run as an assistant coach at Hanover College in Indiana. The Panthers went 30-24 during her stint with the team.
"I have worked with and played for many successful coaches, and I will use that wisdom and experience to curate a culture striving for excellence," Johnston said. "I plan to use my coaching network to recruit high level athletes and will develop student-athletes using a mixture of traditional and modernized coaching methods emphasizing athletic and personal development."
Johnston got her coaching career started with the Frisco Flyers Volleyball club in Frisco, Texas as she was a head and assistant coach at various age levels ranging from 10 to 18-year old's. She took a hiatus from the club scene when she was named assistant at Hanover but returned in 2023 when she joined Topspin Volleyball Club in Lawrence County, Pa. There, she was a head coach for 14 through 17-year olds.
"I have competed, coached and recruited at youth volleyball events all over the country for many years," Johnston said. "I have strong relationships with recruiting coordinators and coaches in many regions and this will aid me in finding student athletes who will enjoy their experience and excel at Waynesburg."
The Yellow Jackets are coming off an 8-17 overall record and were 1-9 in the PAC in 2023. Fusina believes Johnston is the leader Waynesburg needs to turn the program around and compete at the top of the highly competitive PAC.
"I am confident Hope is the right person to lead our program and I believe that in time, she will be able to lead our program to success on the court," Fusina said. "She is going to bring a new level of experience, energy and focus to our volleyball program and be a positive role model for our student-athletes."
Johnston believes that her experience competing in the PAC has set her up for sustained success in the conference at Waynesburg.
"I understand the level of competition expected to succeed in the PAC," she said. "I believe that Waynesburg University has the potential to attract and develop student athletes to compete and be successful within this group of institutions."
Fusina echoed Johnston's belief that success will come to Waynesburg in the years ahead, and he is confident that she will bring drastic improvement to the program.
"She is prepared and ready to lead our program and I am looking forward to watching our volleyball program improve immediately with her presence," Fusina said.
Johnston was an accomplished club player as she qualified for the Junior National Championship and won a bronze medal at the AAU National championships.
She graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a degree in communication and a minor in religious studies in 2018. While in Norman, she was a member of the Sooners' rowing team and was a Big 12 Championship Runner up in 2015.
