From Wichita sibling rivalry to Duke volleyball: the rise of Carlyle Johnson
When Carlyle Johnson found out her older brother, Price, had scored higher than her on the ACT, she didn’t shrug it off.
She didn’t have to take the test again — Duke University, where she has already committed to play Division I volleyball, doesn’t even require it.
But that didn’t matter. She wanted to win.
That’s life as the youngest Johnson sibling, a constant push to measure up that driven one of the most talented volleyball players Wichita has seen in recent years.
“She has always wanted to keep up with her older brother and sister,” said her mother, Corey. “That made her scrappy. She works harder, practices harder, studies longer, tries harder — just to keep up with them.”
That relentless drive has pushed Carlyle from the tagalong little sister being “dragged” to her older sister Eley’s volleyball tournaments to becoming a 6-foot-3 powerhouse who just shattered Collegiate’s single-season and career kills records.
She has already racked up 423 kills this season — and 1,249 for her career — entering Saturday’s showdown between Collegiate and Wichita Trinity in a Class 3A sub-state match. She is the rare mix of size, athleticism and versatility that has earned her a full-ride to Duke.
“She’s a complete all-around player,” Collegiate coach Chris Zandler said. “She can obviously hit, but she’s also one of our best passers and she’s starting to set for us. She blocks, she serves tough. She never comes off the court. She’s just an amazing talent. I’ll probably never see another one like her again.”
Carlyle Johnson is a late bloomer turned star
The rise of Carlyle wasn’t inevitable.
She was always tall, sure, but the coordination took time. Her father, Jeff, a former basketball player himself, tried coaching her when she was little but could never get her to take to basketball. Early in her club volleyball days with Shockwave Volleyball Academy, she was mostly a middle blocker, using her size to get by.
Then came the summer after her freshman year and a five-inch growth spurt that transformed her game. Shockwave coaches moved her outside to become a pin hitter and suddenly the once-awkward kid found her rhythm.
She hit the weight room, sharpened her footwork and turned herself into one of the most complete six-rotation players in the state. This season, she’s averaging 5.6 kills per set and has accounted for more than 60% of her team’s total kills to go along with career-best marks in aces (42), digs (258), blocks (41) and assists (44).
Shockwave certainly helped in that development, as the club pushed Carlyle to develop all areas of her game through practice. But her experience at Collegiate also helped the process, as she was forced to play all the way around from an early age.
“I definitely think that played a significant role in my growth,” she said. “I was out of my comfort zone because I wasn’t always the most coordinated. But now I feel like I am way more coordinated and that’s because of that experience.”
A KU basketball family turns to Duke volleyball
The competitiveness runs deep in the Johnson household.
Carlyle’s dad, Jeff, once was a walk-on basketball player at Kansas. Her older sister, Eley, was a standout volleyball player, while her older brother, Price, was an accomplished runner and golfer at Collegiate.
So when Carlyle started showing real athletic promise, Jeff couldn’t resist ribbing her about keeping the family’s Division I tradition alive.
“She was the last hope,” Jeff said, laughing. “I told her she had to continue the family legacy.”
Carlyle’s response was immediate.
“Oh no, dad,” she quipped. “I intend to get off the bench.”
While the family still bleeds crimson and blue for KU basketball, Jeff says it’s not hard to cheer for his daughter in Duke blue — as long as that Duke blue carries specific branding.
“He jokes that he’ll only wear gear that says Duke volleyball because he doesn’t want anyone thinking he supports Duke basketball,” Carlyle said. “It’s just a fun little joke because he’s actually the most supportive person ever.”
Putting aside the blue-blood basketball rivalry, the family has been thrilled to see Carlyle pursue her dreams, athletically and academically.
“We’re so proud of her and the opportunity for her to not only play Division I volleyball, but also get a world-class education,” Jeff said.
Carlyle said that combination is what made Duke the right choice for her.
“I just really loved their coaching staff,” Carlyle said. “They did a really great job of showing me how I can be an important piece to Duke volleyball and how Duke volleyball can be an important piece to my life.”
All-around excellence for Collegiate volleyball
Carlyle’s drive shows up everywhere, on the court, in the classroom and even in the pool.
While her height might suggest basketball for a second sport, Carlyle actually makes waves in the pool for Collegiate’s swim team in the spring. She wakes up at 5 a.m. for workouts in her second spot, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
Her parents say that drive can be traced back to her childhood.
“When Eley was a senior and Carly was 13, they were definitely big sister-little sister and not always the best friends,” Jeff said. “But I do think she idolized her older sister. And now it’s really fun to watch because Eley is literally her biggest fan.”
The same competitiveness that once fueled their sibling rivalries now drives Carlyle toward something bigger — not just to outdo her sister and brother, but to make them proud.
“I used to feel like I was getting dragged to my sister’s volleyball tournaments,” Carlyle said. “But once I started playing, I realized a lot of why I love volleyball is probably because of watching and learning from her play.”
This story was originally published October 24, 2025 at 5:04 AM.
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