“We have been there. We have done it. Now let us go enjoy it.” – Coach Dayna Carter
The Royals Vision: Staying Loose, Having Fun, Chasing More
I checked out the Johnson University Royals today in a team scrimmage. The vibe check passed as this is a team that is loose, has fun, and enjoys the game the way it is meant to be played. Johnson is coming off a 29-15 season where the Royals claimed the Appalachian Athletic Conference title, the first in the short history of the program.
Afterwards, Coach Dayna Carter spent a few minutes sharing her vision for the program, the foundation that has been laid, and the next steps ahead. Johnson’s success has always been tied to their balance of hard work and joy. When the Royals stay loose, they play their best. Last season proved that, but in moments of uncharted territory, the team tightened up and strayed from its formula.
“I had a time frame. Coach Hannah is one of the coaches who has been with me the whole time,” said Carter. “We kind of figured by year five for us, which is team seven, that we would start competing for stuff.”
The Royals have already brought home some hardware, winning the AAC Championship in May. But that was just the beginning. The next step is going beyond the opening round of the NAIA Tournament.
“So, you know, our expectation is to keep moving forward, and the other thing is to say, we have been there. We have done it. Now let us go enjoy it,” Carter said.
That lesson came quickly. At the AAC Tournament, the Royals were loose, having fun, and battled their way to the title because it was the only way they could reach the postseason. But in the NAIA Tournament, the moment quickly grew a little too big.
“At the conference tournament, we had fun, and we were loose, and we knew what we were up against,” Carter said. “Then we went to the first round of the NAIA, and it was more or less, got a little bit tight, just because they had not been there yet. It does not matter with me saying, Hey, just continue to be loose. Nobody was expecting us to even be here. It was still like, oh my gosh, we are at nationals.”
Carter feels this coming season will be different. The Royals return a core of proven players and bring in a talented freshman class. The foundation has been built, and now the focus is on capitalizing on their talented depth, a goal every program in any sport strives for.
Early on, recruiting meant selling a vision and a dream of being the ones to help start something new. Now, the approach has shifted. It is no longer the hopeful message and visions that have yet to the seen. This program has proof of consistency and the climb.
“So, recruiting in the early days was more like, Hey, believe in the vision that we have. Now it is believe in what we are doing, the product, we are the product,” Carter explained. “They are enjoying the time, and we are winning. So if you can keep that going, and then those young girls come in, and they feel that energy, and they feel that culture, they get right into it.”
That is exactly what has taken root in southeast Knoxville. The team is cohesive, with freshmen already blending in and challenging the upperclassmen.
“So it is funny, because we say right now, these freshmen, they are so good. But they have also blended in and pushed the older ones so good as well. One thing I am very impressed with is our upperclassmen are doing a fabulous job of teaching younger girls too.”
That kind of culture is what excites Carter the most. She sees a unit, not a collection of individuals. With that environment in place, she believes the Royals can push even further in 2026.
The roster backs it up. Sophomore standout Madisyn Thacker-Wolfe, who played through injury late last season, is expected to be a major contributor when fully healthy. As a freshman, she slashed .437/.481/.606 with two home runs, 47 RBIs, and 18 extra-base hits in 43 games.
“Megan Armstrong, she is our left-handed first baseman. She just loves to hit bombs”, said Carter. Armstrong led the team last season with seven home runs, 23 extra-base hits, and a .387 batting average.
The Royals also bring back a big senior class, led by pitcher Lindy Webber. She posted an 18-6 record with a 1.87 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched. Webber averaged just a little over six strikeouts per game, and recorded seven shutouts.
“But the great thing I can say about that is, as good as they are, our freshmen are also as good. So they are already pushing, which I love, because it is a healthy competition,” Carter said.
The Royals know the formula. Stay loose, have fun, and trust the foundation. If they can do that, 2026 could be another historic step forward. Johnson is a team to watch in the NAIA landscape of college softball.
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