Women's Volleyball
Donathan, Macey
Macey Donathan
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 719-333-2274
Macey Donathon is in her second season leading the Air Force volleyball team, after being named the program’s 12th head coach in January 2024. An All-American outside hitter at Arizona State, Donathan brings a strong coaching background to the Academy, having spent seven years as a Division I assistant – including six with Power 4 programs.
The Falcons collected three victories during Donathan’s first season at Air Force, including a 3-0 sweep of Fordham in her coaching debut and a 3-1 win over UNLV that snapped a nine-match losing skid to the Rebels. Under her watch, Grace Fiaseu set Air Force DI Freshman Records in hitting (.306) and total blocks (11), while posting the second-best totals by a freshman in aces, assisted blocks and total blocks.
Donathan, who came to Air Force following a season with Club One Volleyball in Tempe, Ariz., spent the previous four years (2019-22) as an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas. During her time in Fayetteville, she helped guide the Razorbacks to the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance in nine years. After recording its second-consecutive 20-win season and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament, Arkansas finished the 2022 season ranked No. 25 in the final AVCA rankings. During her tenure with the Razorbacks, Donathan saw her athletes earn seven all-conference honors, while Taylor Head was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2020 and claimed AVCA All-America honorable mention honors in 2022.
Prior to her stint at Arkansas, Donathan spent two seasons at her alma mater, Arizona State University, where she coached a pair of all-conference outside hitters in Oluoma Okaro and Alyse Ford. After a rebuilding year in 2017, the Sun Devils captured victories over three Top 15 teams in 2018 and earned the program’s first national ranking (No. 25) since Donathan’s senior year. She began her collegiate coaching career at Liberty University in 2016, where she helped the Flames to a 16-14 record and an 11-5 mark in Big South play.
A former outside hitter at Arizona State, Donathan’s maiden name of Gardner is dotted throughout the Sun Devils’ record book. She finished her career at Arizona State as the program’s all-time leader in kills with 1882 – a total that ranks No. 18 all-time in Pac-12 history. A three-time all-conference first-team honoree – one of only three Sun Devil players to make that claim, Donathan was an AVCA All-America third-team selection in 2014. She finished her career with two of three-best single-season kill totals in ASU history, including a 594-kill season as a junior and an Arizona State freshman season record of 577 in 2012 – a tally that led the Pac-12 that year. During her career, Donathan helped the Sun Devils to four-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and their highest national ranking in program history (No. 5) during the 2015 season.
Donathan also gained experience at the international level while at ASU. A member of the Pac-12 All-Star Team that traveled to China in 2013, she also participated in winter training with the U.S. National Team that year.
During her playing days in Tempe, which included two seasons on the Sun Devils’ beach volleyball team, Donathan also coached volleyball at the club level. After spending 2012-15 as an assistant coach for Club One Volleyball, she also coached for Club Red and Club One 18s sand team.
A native of Gilbert, Ariz., Donathan graduated from Arizona State in December 2015, with a bachelor’s degree in business communications. Donathan and her husband, Zach, have three young sons – Benaiah, Elliot, and Isaac.
The Falcons collected three victories during Donathan’s first season at Air Force, including a 3-0 sweep of Fordham in her coaching debut and a 3-1 win over UNLV that snapped a nine-match losing skid to the Rebels. Under her watch, Grace Fiaseu set Air Force DI Freshman Records in hitting (.306) and total blocks (11), while posting the second-best totals by a freshman in aces, assisted blocks and total blocks.
Donathan, who came to Air Force following a season with Club One Volleyball in Tempe, Ariz., spent the previous four years (2019-22) as an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas. During her time in Fayetteville, she helped guide the Razorbacks to the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance in nine years. After recording its second-consecutive 20-win season and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament, Arkansas finished the 2022 season ranked No. 25 in the final AVCA rankings. During her tenure with the Razorbacks, Donathan saw her athletes earn seven all-conference honors, while Taylor Head was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2020 and claimed AVCA All-America honorable mention honors in 2022.
Prior to her stint at Arkansas, Donathan spent two seasons at her alma mater, Arizona State University, where she coached a pair of all-conference outside hitters in Oluoma Okaro and Alyse Ford. After a rebuilding year in 2017, the Sun Devils captured victories over three Top 15 teams in 2018 and earned the program’s first national ranking (No. 25) since Donathan’s senior year. She began her collegiate coaching career at Liberty University in 2016, where she helped the Flames to a 16-14 record and an 11-5 mark in Big South play.
A former outside hitter at Arizona State, Donathan’s maiden name of Gardner is dotted throughout the Sun Devils’ record book. She finished her career at Arizona State as the program’s all-time leader in kills with 1882 – a total that ranks No. 18 all-time in Pac-12 history. A three-time all-conference first-team honoree – one of only three Sun Devil players to make that claim, Donathan was an AVCA All-America third-team selection in 2014. She finished her career with two of three-best single-season kill totals in ASU history, including a 594-kill season as a junior and an Arizona State freshman season record of 577 in 2012 – a tally that led the Pac-12 that year. During her career, Donathan helped the Sun Devils to four-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and their highest national ranking in program history (No. 5) during the 2015 season.
Donathan also gained experience at the international level while at ASU. A member of the Pac-12 All-Star Team that traveled to China in 2013, she also participated in winter training with the U.S. National Team that year.
During her playing days in Tempe, which included two seasons on the Sun Devils’ beach volleyball team, Donathan also coached volleyball at the club level. After spending 2012-15 as an assistant coach for Club One Volleyball, she also coached for Club Red and Club One 18s sand team.
A native of Gilbert, Ariz., Donathan graduated from Arizona State in December 2015, with a bachelor’s degree in business communications. Donathan and her husband, Zach, have three young sons – Benaiah, Elliot, and Isaac.
Falcons fall in close straight sets to Denver
Thursday, September 18
Macey Donathan Interview - September 16th, 2025
Tuesday, September 16
Macey Donathan Interview Sept 9, 2025
Tuesday, September 09
Macey Donathan Interview - September 2nd, 2025
Tuesday, September 02
