Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball
Darcy Dorton
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- darcy.dorton@bsu.edu
- Phone:
- 765-285-5671
A former Delta High School standout and two-time NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Champion at Penn State, Darcy Dorton enters her fourth season at Ball State in 2026. She served as an assistant coach for the Cardinals in her first three seasons (2023-25), before being promoted to associate head coach prior to the start of the 2026 campaign.
“I could not be more excited to have Darcy back in Muncie and as a member of our Ball State family,” Phillips said. “Her experience as a player and coach will bring a wealth of knowledge to the program and will help us continue to reach the highest levels competitively. I love her energy and enthusiasm for not only coaching the X’s and O’s of the game, but also for connecting with our players and helping them bring out the best in themselves. She will be a great fit in our program, and I’m excited to get started!”
In her first three seasons on staff, the Cardinals have compiled a 60-35 overall record and a 43-11 mark in Mid-American Conference play. Her efforts on the bench and in the practice gym helped Ball State secure the 2025 MAC regular season championship, with a 17-1 league record, and hosting rights for the 2026 MAC Women’s Volleyball Championship. The Cardinals finished the 2025 campaign ranked first in the MAC and 32nd nationally with a .258 attack percentage.
Ball State also led the league with a .677 winning percentage in 2025, while dishing out a MAC-best 12.67 assists per set. The Cardinals set a program record with a .267 attack percentage in 2024, which ranked first in the league and 25th nationally.
Over the past three seasons, Dorton has helped Ball State’s student-athletes earn 10 First Team All-MAC honors, five MAC All-Freshman Team accolades, two MAC Freshman of the Year nods, the 2025 MAC Setters of the Year award and the 2025 MAC Player of the Year honor.
A four-year letterwinner (2005-08) and two-year team captain at Delta, Dorton joined the Ball State staff after eight seasons at Eastern Michigan, including the last four as head coach. As head coach of the Eagles (2019-22), she helped her student-athletes earn four first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors, a pair of second-team All-MAC accolades, and mentored the program’s first American Volleyball Coaches Association Midwest All-Region First Team honoree since 1989.
“I am so grateful for Kelli giving me this opportunity to return home and coach the Cardinals,” Dorton said. “Muncie isn’t just a place that feels like home; it is my home. I am looking forward to taking part in all the traditions around Ball State Athletics. Chirp Chirp!”
Dorton’s student-athletes also excelled in the classroom at EMU, earning 25 Academic All-MAC honors. In addition, each year she was head coach of the program, the Eagles were honored with the AVCA Team Academic Award for carrying a team GPA of 3.30 or higher.
In her four years as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan (2015-18), Dorton was the program’s primary recruiter and oversaw training and player development. She helped lead the Eagles earn berths in the MAC Tournament in three of those four seasons. She also helped the program reach new heights in 2018, winning its first-ever MAC Tournament Championship to earn its first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Dorton played from 2014-15 in Austria for Askö Linz-Steg. She was the leading point scorer & captain of an organization that competed in Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Russia.
Before her international career, Dorton was a standout student-athlete at Penn State (2009-11) and the College of Charleston (2012-13), helping the programs to a combined five NCAA Tournament appearances and four conference titles. She would also win a pair of National Championships while playing for the Nittany Lions. In addition, she is believed to be the only player in NCAA Division I volleyball history to win conference titles in three different conferences (Big Ten, Southern, and Colonial).
As a freshman at Penn State in 2009, Dorton was named the Big Ten and AVCA Mideast Region Freshman of the Year. She was also an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and a five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week. She helped guide the Nittany Lions to a perfect 38-0 record as a freshman, with the squad losing just eight sets all season.
She was also a member of the 2010 team that won a national championship with a 32-5 record and team captain for the 2011 squad that finished the season with a 25-8 mark and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA East Regional.
Dorton transferred to the College of Charleston prior to the 2012 season, helping the Cougars earn the Southern Conference tournament title and the program’s second-ever NCAA First Round victory in her debut season. She would finish the 2012 season as the first player in program history to earn AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors after being named AVCA All-South Region and All-Southern Conference First Team. In addition, she registered a career-best 27 kills in the team’s NCAA First Round win over No. 23 Miami and finished the year with a program rally scoring record of 529 kills.
In her final indoor season at CofC in 2013, Dorton was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year and Tournament Most Valuable Player. The first player in CAA history to win preseason and postseason Player of the Year honors, she led the Cougars to the CAA Tournament championship and another NCAA Tournament berth. Dorton also played two seasons of sand volleyball for the College of Charleston.
Before her collegiate playing career, Dorton culminated her high school career by guiding Delta to the IHSAA Class 3A State Championship. The 2008 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year and 2008 PrepVolleyball.com National Player of the Year, Dorton smashed 23 kills and hit .436 (23-6-39) in the state championship match versus Mishawaka Marian played in Worthen Arena. Dorton was also named the 2008 IHSAA Mental Attitude Award winner.
Dorton also had successful careers at Munciana and with the USA Volleyball youth and junior national team. She was captain of the junior national team that won the 2008 NORSECA Championship and a member of the 2007 Youth World Championship roster. A three-time AAU 18 Open All-American and a JVDA 18 Open All-American, she played on the 2009 AAU 18 Open National Champion and the 2009 JVDA 18 Open National Champion teams.
“I could not be more excited to have Darcy back in Muncie and as a member of our Ball State family,” Phillips said. “Her experience as a player and coach will bring a wealth of knowledge to the program and will help us continue to reach the highest levels competitively. I love her energy and enthusiasm for not only coaching the X’s and O’s of the game, but also for connecting with our players and helping them bring out the best in themselves. She will be a great fit in our program, and I’m excited to get started!”
In her first three seasons on staff, the Cardinals have compiled a 60-35 overall record and a 43-11 mark in Mid-American Conference play. Her efforts on the bench and in the practice gym helped Ball State secure the 2025 MAC regular season championship, with a 17-1 league record, and hosting rights for the 2026 MAC Women’s Volleyball Championship. The Cardinals finished the 2025 campaign ranked first in the MAC and 32nd nationally with a .258 attack percentage.
Ball State also led the league with a .677 winning percentage in 2025, while dishing out a MAC-best 12.67 assists per set. The Cardinals set a program record with a .267 attack percentage in 2024, which ranked first in the league and 25th nationally.
Over the past three seasons, Dorton has helped Ball State’s student-athletes earn 10 First Team All-MAC honors, five MAC All-Freshman Team accolades, two MAC Freshman of the Year nods, the 2025 MAC Setters of the Year award and the 2025 MAC Player of the Year honor.
A four-year letterwinner (2005-08) and two-year team captain at Delta, Dorton joined the Ball State staff after eight seasons at Eastern Michigan, including the last four as head coach. As head coach of the Eagles (2019-22), she helped her student-athletes earn four first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors, a pair of second-team All-MAC accolades, and mentored the program’s first American Volleyball Coaches Association Midwest All-Region First Team honoree since 1989.
“I am so grateful for Kelli giving me this opportunity to return home and coach the Cardinals,” Dorton said. “Muncie isn’t just a place that feels like home; it is my home. I am looking forward to taking part in all the traditions around Ball State Athletics. Chirp Chirp!”
Dorton’s student-athletes also excelled in the classroom at EMU, earning 25 Academic All-MAC honors. In addition, each year she was head coach of the program, the Eagles were honored with the AVCA Team Academic Award for carrying a team GPA of 3.30 or higher.
In her four years as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan (2015-18), Dorton was the program’s primary recruiter and oversaw training and player development. She helped lead the Eagles earn berths in the MAC Tournament in three of those four seasons. She also helped the program reach new heights in 2018, winning its first-ever MAC Tournament Championship to earn its first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Dorton played from 2014-15 in Austria for Askö Linz-Steg. She was the leading point scorer & captain of an organization that competed in Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Russia.
Before her international career, Dorton was a standout student-athlete at Penn State (2009-11) and the College of Charleston (2012-13), helping the programs to a combined five NCAA Tournament appearances and four conference titles. She would also win a pair of National Championships while playing for the Nittany Lions. In addition, she is believed to be the only player in NCAA Division I volleyball history to win conference titles in three different conferences (Big Ten, Southern, and Colonial).
As a freshman at Penn State in 2009, Dorton was named the Big Ten and AVCA Mideast Region Freshman of the Year. She was also an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and a five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week. She helped guide the Nittany Lions to a perfect 38-0 record as a freshman, with the squad losing just eight sets all season.
She was also a member of the 2010 team that won a national championship with a 32-5 record and team captain for the 2011 squad that finished the season with a 25-8 mark and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA East Regional.
Dorton transferred to the College of Charleston prior to the 2012 season, helping the Cougars earn the Southern Conference tournament title and the program’s second-ever NCAA First Round victory in her debut season. She would finish the 2012 season as the first player in program history to earn AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors after being named AVCA All-South Region and All-Southern Conference First Team. In addition, she registered a career-best 27 kills in the team’s NCAA First Round win over No. 23 Miami and finished the year with a program rally scoring record of 529 kills.
In her final indoor season at CofC in 2013, Dorton was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year and Tournament Most Valuable Player. The first player in CAA history to win preseason and postseason Player of the Year honors, she led the Cougars to the CAA Tournament championship and another NCAA Tournament berth. Dorton also played two seasons of sand volleyball for the College of Charleston.
Before her collegiate playing career, Dorton culminated her high school career by guiding Delta to the IHSAA Class 3A State Championship. The 2008 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year and 2008 PrepVolleyball.com National Player of the Year, Dorton smashed 23 kills and hit .436 (23-6-39) in the state championship match versus Mishawaka Marian played in Worthen Arena. Dorton was also named the 2008 IHSAA Mental Attitude Award winner.
Dorton also had successful careers at Munciana and with the USA Volleyball youth and junior national team. She was captain of the junior national team that won the 2008 NORSECA Championship and a member of the 2007 Youth World Championship roster. A three-time AAU 18 Open All-American and a JVDA 18 Open All-American, she played on the 2009 AAU 18 Open National Champion and the 2009 JVDA 18 Open National Champion teams.
Monday, June 29
Monday, June 29
Saturday, June 27
Friday, June 26
