EL PASO, Texas – UTEP volleyball head coach Ben Wallis announced the addition of former Belmont assistant coach Courtney Johnson to the Miners' coaching staff Tuesday afternoon. Johnson, a Samford volleyball alumna, will be joining Nick Petrovic as one of two assistant coaches on staff.
 
During her time at Belmont, Johnson coordinated and oversaw all phases for the defensive side of the team while assisting with recruiting operations. She helped the Bruins reach their first conference tournament appearance since 2017 when the program made an appearance this past season. Johnson joined the Bruins after a stint at Samford where she was a volunteer assistant coach with the program following the conclusion of her collegiate career with the Bulldogs.
 
"I'm thrilled to add Courtney to our staff," Wallis said. "Courtney's ideals, character, and grinder mentality are what we've been missing here for a little while and we're excited to get her out on the road recruiting as soon as possible."
 
After spending her freshman campaign at Fresno State where she was named to the Fall Academic All-Mountain West team, Johnson spent the remainder of her career (2017-19) with Samford, helping the program win a pair of SoCon tournament championships, as well as one regular season title. Primarily used as a serving specialist, Johnson accumulated a total of 353 digs and 49 service aces in her three seasons.
 
"When searching for a candidate for this open position we had so many qualified male and female candidates, but honestly, at the end of the day I'm glad we were able to find a young grinder like Courtney to add to our family," Wallis said. "Our players are excited, and they were involved in the recruiting and hiring process. She was their choice and I agreed."

The native of Bellevue, Wash. served as a team captain in her final year of competition, helping guide the Bulldogs to their best season in history, including a 24-6 record, SoCon championships in both the regular season and league tournament, an NCAA Tournament berth and the program's first-ever upset over a top-25 ranked program.
 
Johnson shined academically during her time at Samford, being named to the Fall Academic All-Southern Conference team all three years and the Dean's List in all six of her semesters on campus.
 
In October 2019, Johnson was awarded the prestigious AVCA Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship and attended the AVCA Convention held at the Final Four in Pittsburgh that December.
 
"I am very excited about joining the Miner Nation and the UTEP volleyball family." Johnson exclaimed. "I want to thank Ben [Wallis], Nick [Petrovic] and the rest of the community for welcoming me with open arms. This is such a special place, and I can't wait to work with this group."
 
"She's going to be a great addition to our staff and the city is going to fall in love with her quickly," Wallis said.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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