| Three A Coach of the Year Cristen Johnson coaches her squad during a time out at the state championship at Utah Valley State College in Provo. |
Carbon Dino Volleyball Coach Cristen Johnson has been named 3A women’s volleyball Coach of the Year
When Cristen Johnson took the reigns of the Lady Dino’s volleyball squad from Bruce Bean this season, a chain reaction was set in motion that would take Carbon to the state title game and take Johnson to the top of her profession.
Earlier this year, Bean, the former ladies volleyball coach, moved into administration, taking on the role of vice principal at Carbon High. With that change, Cristen Johnson moved into the head coaching role for the Lady Dinos.
The program has had a long history of winning teams and Coach Johnson was determined to keep the tradition strong.
In her first year as a coach, she took her solid core of girls and molded them into a winning machine. The team just missed, by the slimmest of margin, taking home the state championship title.
The girls played the top ranked and much touted Morgan in a duel that must have felt like it was going to a death match. It was one of the few times when taking home second was almost a sweet as taking home the victor’s trophy.
Because of the excellent play Johnson and her team showed on the court all season long, the Utah High School Volleyball association voted Johnson as their 3A Coach of the Year. The association is made up of all the high school coaches in the state. Johnson will coach the 3A all-star team on November 17th.
“It is an honor to be voted on by all the other coaches,” Johnson stated when interviewed.
She then praised her entire team for the way they handled themselves this year. Johnson is looking forward to next season already. Even though the team has lost three key players to graduation, they have some good solid talent coming up. There is also a core of starters returning for another season that should make Carbon a team to contend with again next season.
Senior Megan Garvin was selected to the 3A all-star team and will join her coach at the Nov. 17 game.