Charlene Johnson-Tagaloa

Charlene Johnson-Tagaloa (pronounced shar-LEEN Ton-ga-LOE-uh) is in her fourth season as an assistant coach with the Nebraska program. A former U.S. National Team setter, Johnson-Tagaloa coaches the Husker setters and provides a supportive role in recruiting. Her additional duties include serving as the team video coordinator and as a liaison for academics and community involvement. She also assists with summer camps.

Last season, Johnson-Tagaloa oversaw the Huskers' transition to a 6-2 offense that set the tone for one of the best offensive seasons in school history. Dani Busboom and Maggie Griffin guided an offense that hit .322, the second-highest hitting percentage in school history, and ranked in the top-10 nationally in hitting percentage (fourth), kills per game (17.12, fourth) and assists per game (15.72, eighth). NU setters helped four Husker attackers earn AVCA All-America honors, including national player of the year Christina Houghtelling.

In 2004, Johnson-Tagaloa helped Dani Busboom earn AVCA All-Midwest Region honors, as Busboom ranked 24th nationally in assists with 13.1 assists per game. Her average was the highest by a Husker since 1998, while she also helped Nebraska rank in the top 20 in both hitting percentage (.281) and kills per game (17.20).

In her first year at Nebraska, she was essential to the development of two young setters in the Huskers' 6-2 offense, as the Huskers replaced three-time All-American Greichaly Cepero. With the help of Johnson-Tagaloa, Busboom and Michelle Lynch led NU to a .249 hitting percentage, which ranked fourth in the Big 12.

“Charlene is one of the best setters this country has ever produced," NU Coach John Cook said. "She understands what it takes to make it to the top of her sport, and she has worked with USA Volleyball’s future setters. Charlene is a great role model for our players who have their own Olympic dreams."

Johnson-Tagaloa remains heavily involved with USA Volleyball, serving as a coach for the High Performance Camps in each of the past four years. In 2002, she was elected to the USA Volleyball Board of Directors to serve a three-year term as an international female player representative.

Before Nebraska
Johnson-Tagaloa previously served one season as an assistant coach with the U.S. Junior National Team, helping to guide the squad to a silver medal at the 2002 NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship. Johnson-Tagaloa’s other previous coaching experiences include a stint as BYU’s undergraduate assistant coach in 1995 and as assistant coach of the Grand Rapids Force of the United States Professional Volleyball League during the 2001-02 season. She also runs Johnson-Tagaloa's Setting/All Skills Clinics.

Playing Experience
Johnson-Tagaloa made a Nebraska connection during her time with the U.S. National Team when she competed alongside former U.S. National Team captain Allison Weston (1992-95). Johnson-Tagaloa and Weston were roommates during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

A member of the U.S. National Team from 1997 to 2001, she was the starting setter for the squad from January of 1999 to August of 2000. In her first season directing the U.S. National Team’s offense, Johnson-Tagaloa earned the best setter award at the 1999 NORCECA Championships after leading her team to a second-place finish. She also guided the squad to a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games. In 2000, Tagaloa helped Team USA qualify for the Sydney Olympics as the starting setter at the NIKE Americas Volleyball Challenge. She also earned the best setter award at the four-team event.  However, Johnson-Tagaloa sprained her wrist during a tour of Germany just prior to leaving for the Grand Prix, Team USA's final tune-up before the Olympics, and was relegated to a supporting role in Sydney.

Johnson-Tagaloa has played professionally overseas, competing in Italy for Barrese Volley Napoli and in Switzerland for Adliswil. She also competed professionally in Salt Lake City in the National Volleyball Association (1994-95) and the Professional Volleyball League (1995-96).

Before her international career, she played collegiately at Brigham Young from 1991 to 1994. A two-time AVCA All-American, Johnson-Tagaloa guided BYU to the school’s first-ever NCAA semifinal appearance in 1994 after earning Western Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Year honors. During her four-year career at Brigham Young, the Cougars produced three WAC championships and a 109-16 record. The 1991 WAC Freshman of the Year, she ended her career as the Cougars’ all-time assist leader with 5,321. A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Johnson-Tagaloa attended Clark High School in Las Vegas, Nev., where she was named a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 recruit and a Mizuno First-Team Prep All-American.
Johnson-Tagaloa earned a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from Brigham Young in 1999. She has three children, a 13-year-old son Kaipo (Fresh) and two daughters, VaiLin-Gabby, 4, and Sydney, 2.