Completed Event: Volleyball versus California on November 28, 2025 , Loss , 2, to, 3
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Final
Volleyball
2
vs California
3
Catanach Johnson Elevated to Associate Head Coach
5/23/2022 2:56:00 PM | Volleyball
DURHAM – Duke volleyball head coach Jolene Nagel has announced Kellie Catanach Johnson as the program's associate head coach. Catanach Johnson is entering her fourth season with the Blue Devils, having joined the staff as an assistant in June of 2019.
"I'm so grateful to Coach Nagel and our administration for their belief in me and their support of me as both a person and a professional," Catanach Johnson said. "Duke is a special place and the Duke volleyball family is truly one of a kind. I have big shoes to fill with Patric's [Santiago] departure, as he was an incredible coach, mentor and friend, but am confident we can continue the great things we've started. I really believe in all that Duke volleyball can be and I look forward to the opportunity to continue to move our program forward to compete for championships and foster the development of world-changing women."
In her role, Catanach Johnson serves as the recruiting coordinator and aids in all aspects of training and program administration. In the spring of 2022 she was a member of Duke Athletics' DEIB Belonging subcommittee and in 2021 was named an AVCA Thirty Under 30 award winner.
"It gives me great pride and happiness to announce Kellie as our associate head coach," Nagel said. "It is very special for myself and Duke Athletics to announce one of our former student-athletes in this role. Her wealth of experience goes far beyond her actual years of coaching on the court. Growing up in a volleyball gym, daughter of a hall of fame coach, an All-American setter who led us to a regional final at Duke and a Duke graduate are experiences that make her unique in this role. Our team benefits daily from her wisdom of having walked in their shoes. She continues to be a student of the game and her desire for Duke volleyball to be great on every front burns within. I'm grateful to partner with Kellie to lead our program."
A four-year letterwinner and three-time All-American, Catanach competed at Duke from 2008-11, receiving All-ACC recognition all four years of her college career and ACVA honors her final three seasons. She helped the Duke volleyball squad to two ACC Championships in 2008 and 2010. The Blue Devils made NCAA Tournament appearances all four of her seasons, advancing to the second round in 2008 and the Round of Eight in 2010.
As a junior, Catanach was named the 2010 ACC Player of the Year, becoming the seventh Duke player to earn that honor. The Tampa, Fla., native ended her career ranked ninth on the ACC's all-time assists leaderboard, while also becoming the third Blue Devil to post at least 1,000 assists in all four seasons and serving as the team captain for her final two years.
Catanach returns to Durham from Florida State University, where she served as the Director of Educational Services. In her role with the Seminoles, she oversaw the daily operations of educational services arm of the Student-Athlete Academic Services department while acting as the Educational Services liaison to advisors and leadership team members. Catanach also earned a graduate degree from FSU in 2015, with a Master's of Science in Sport Management.
She is a native of Tampa, Fla., and resides in Durham with her husband, former Duke football student-athlete Dezmond Johnson, and their dog Bentley.
For more information on Duke volleyball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeVB".
#GoDuke
"I'm so grateful to Coach Nagel and our administration for their belief in me and their support of me as both a person and a professional," Catanach Johnson said. "Duke is a special place and the Duke volleyball family is truly one of a kind. I have big shoes to fill with Patric's [Santiago] departure, as he was an incredible coach, mentor and friend, but am confident we can continue the great things we've started. I really believe in all that Duke volleyball can be and I look forward to the opportunity to continue to move our program forward to compete for championships and foster the development of world-changing women."
In her role, Catanach Johnson serves as the recruiting coordinator and aids in all aspects of training and program administration. In the spring of 2022 she was a member of Duke Athletics' DEIB Belonging subcommittee and in 2021 was named an AVCA Thirty Under 30 award winner.
"It gives me great pride and happiness to announce Kellie as our associate head coach," Nagel said. "It is very special for myself and Duke Athletics to announce one of our former student-athletes in this role. Her wealth of experience goes far beyond her actual years of coaching on the court. Growing up in a volleyball gym, daughter of a hall of fame coach, an All-American setter who led us to a regional final at Duke and a Duke graduate are experiences that make her unique in this role. Our team benefits daily from her wisdom of having walked in their shoes. She continues to be a student of the game and her desire for Duke volleyball to be great on every front burns within. I'm grateful to partner with Kellie to lead our program."
A four-year letterwinner and three-time All-American, Catanach competed at Duke from 2008-11, receiving All-ACC recognition all four years of her college career and ACVA honors her final three seasons. She helped the Duke volleyball squad to two ACC Championships in 2008 and 2010. The Blue Devils made NCAA Tournament appearances all four of her seasons, advancing to the second round in 2008 and the Round of Eight in 2010.
As a junior, Catanach was named the 2010 ACC Player of the Year, becoming the seventh Duke player to earn that honor. The Tampa, Fla., native ended her career ranked ninth on the ACC's all-time assists leaderboard, while also becoming the third Blue Devil to post at least 1,000 assists in all four seasons and serving as the team captain for her final two years.
Catanach returns to Durham from Florida State University, where she served as the Director of Educational Services. In her role with the Seminoles, she oversaw the daily operations of educational services arm of the Student-Athlete Academic Services department while acting as the Educational Services liaison to advisors and leadership team members. Catanach also earned a graduate degree from FSU in 2015, with a Master's of Science in Sport Management.
She is a native of Tampa, Fla., and resides in Durham with her husband, former Duke football student-athlete Dezmond Johnson, and their dog Bentley.
For more information on Duke volleyball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeVB".
#GoDuke
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