The 2025 season was the second for Justin McCartney as a Forester assistant coach. He oversees the team's middles and setters and serves as the program's scouting coordinator.
Setter Lilly Robinson was Lake Forest's Most Valuable Player in 2025 while Rio Dirksen, who played mostly at middle blocker, led the squad in kills and blocks.
In addition to coaching at Lake Forest, McCartney is a head coach with MOD Volleyball Club in Northbrook, Illinois. He also has experience as a girls summer coach and boys camp coach at Lake Forest High School, as well as in a head coaching role with Adversity Volleyball Club in Vernon Hills, Illinois.
McCartney graduated from Endicott University with a degree in computer science in 2023. In addition to playing for the Gulls, McCartney was a setter for Lake Forest High School (2015-19) and Adversity Volleyball Club (2014-19).
He also earned a master's degree in computer science from Colorado State University in the spring of 2025 and is pursuing another through the coaching education program at Ohio University.
