Kate Yoder

GOSHEN, Ind. – The good news just keeps rolling in for Goshen College volleyball coach Jim Routhier.  Today, the first-year head coach announced the signing of Iowa native Kate Yoder to a national letter of intent as he continues to put together an impressive 2010 recruiting class.

A 5-foot-6 setter, Yoder was a three-year starter for Mid-Prairie High School in Wellman, Iowa.  In addition to her standout career for the Hawks, she played high level club volleyball for the past five years.

Yoder tallied a career high 513 assists on way to Cedar Valley All Conference honors during her senior season.  As a team captian, Yoder also was second on her Mid-Prairie team with 140 digs and was the only player to start in each of the Hawks’ 26 matches.

With two senior setters graduating in a couple months, Routhier made increasing depth at the position a priority this recruiting season.  Yoder will play alongside fellow incoming Maple Leaf and former All Ohio selection Stacy Wyse this fall.

“This feels like an exciting time to join the Goshen volleyball program, as both of their setters are seniors this year, leaving some big shoes to fill,” said Yoder, who also noted the outstanding run of the Maple Leafs in Routhier’s first season.  “I’m up for the challenge though and look forward to playing alongside an all-state setter in Stacy Wyse, who has just recently signed with Goshen as well.”

“I feel like all the years I played club volleyball and all the time I put into improving and developing my game during the off season has finally paid off,” Yoder added.

The daughter of John and Joni Yoder, Kate will major in either nursing or music at Goshen.  She also will become the second Kate Yoder on the Maple Leaf roster, joining junior middle hitter Katelyn Yoder of Mason, Mich.

Rachael Williams

GOSHEN, Ind. – Just four months after reaching the program’s first ever Mid-Central College Conference Championship match, head coach Jim Routhier continues to put together a team capable of making a return trip toward the top of the conference.

Nearing his first full calendar year at the helm of the Maple Leafs, Routhier made his next step recently with the signing of Rachael Williams out of Royall High School in Kendall, Wisconsin.

Primarily an outside hitter, Williams led the Panthers to two All Scenic Bluff Conference Championships.  They went undefeated in conference play (27-7 overall) with Williams as a senior captain, going on to a region title before falling in the section championship match.

“Rachael is a very good all around player with an excellent attitude and a passion for the game,” Routhier said.  “I am very happy to have her join our team as we continue to push forward for that MCC Championship run.”

Twice named to the All Scenic Bluffs Conference Teams, Williams racked up 265 kills, 84 digs, and 58 service aces during her senior campaign.  Williams has also spent the past four years playing club volleyball for the Wisconsin Power.

“Rachael is a very versatile player with excellent hands,” high school coach Craig Baesman said.  “We moved her to the left the past two years to get her more swings and she became the best outside hitter in the conference.  Rachael has improved every year and has become a great team leader.”

Just as impressive as her versatility on the court, is her ability to serve in multiple capacities off it.  Also a four-year member of the Panthers’ basketball team, she has been in the high school band, drama, and choir groups.

Williams has also served as a member of Student Council, Prom Committee, Homecoming Committee, and 4-H, where she has won numerous regional and state awards for showing the llamas raised on her parents family farm.  Rachael plans on majoring in nursing at Goshen beginning in the fall.

The addition of Williams makes Routhier’s current class four with several more expected over the next few weeks.  She will join current signings Morgan Broderick, Stacy Wyse, and Chelsea Schmucker.

Morgan Broderick

GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College coaches Jim Routhier (volleyball) and Lee Mast (softball) teamed up to bring in coveted two-sport star Morgan Broderick, the athletic department recently announced.

The Huntington North High School standout was an all conference selection as a libero for the volleyball program in the fall and will enter her third year of varsity softball this spring.

As a senior, Broderick set a new Viking single-season record for digs with 656.  She tallied 10 or more in 28 of the team’s 33 matches and had as many 42 in a September contest against Fort Wayne Snider.  Her 6.48 digs a game led the North Central Conference, which resulted in First Team All NCC honors.  In three varsity seasons, Broderick racked up 1,201 digs, which also put her atop the Huntington North record book.

“We are very fortunate to have signed a great player like Morgan,” said Routhier who will head into his second season next fall.  “She is a tremendously talented libero and is a wonderfully positive individual.  Her work ethic is outstanding. Morgan will fit in well in our program and will help us in our championship run next year.”

The reflexes needed to be a successful libero have also served Broderick well on the softball field.  As a corner infielder for the Vikings, Broderick committed just two errors in nearly 200 attempts (99% fielding percentage) as a junior.  She also batted .314 with 22 hits, 11 RBIs, and four doubles last season.

“I am really excited to have Morgan join our programs,” said Mast.  “The times I have seen her play, she really impressed me with her knowledge of the game, great hand-eye coordination, strong footwork, and speed on the bases.  She also has a super personality, which is something that I always look for in a player.”

Broderick has some additional familiarity in the Maple Leaf program through a former teammate.  Current freshman softball player Stacey Klein played grew up playing with Broderick on the high-level Fort Wayne Fire travel team.

After Broderick finishes her high school career this spring, she will join a growing and talented recruiting class for Maple Leaf volleyball which already includes a pair of Ohio standouts, Stacy Wyse and Chelsea Schmucker.  Heading into the spring, Mast has already added several players to go alongside Broderick in the 2011 class before his 2010 team has even stepped on a field.

LINKS: Roster | Results | Season News | Statistics
MEDIA: Photo Gallery | VIDEO: vs. Huntington | VIDEO: Senior Night

GOSHEN, Ind. – While almost every season has its ups and downs, this year’s Goshen College volleyball campaign was far from the typical.

The normal peaks and valleys of a season just do not go far enough to describe what the Maple Leafs did in 2009. Instead, words like obstacles, astonishment, roadblocks, record-breaking, and accomplishment all somehow seem to fit much better in the learning process of the program over the course of the year.

In this case, the story started before a volleyball was ever served. First-year head coach Jim Routhier took over the reigns of a largely returning roster that had begun to make some noise in the very strong Mid-Central College Conference. Despite having a veteran team, Routhier was shorthanded before the season started as sophomore middle hitter Katelyn Yoder suffered a season-ending knee injury during the summer.

Still expectations were high. As the season started in the Malone University Invitational, the Maple Leafs made their first big wave as they took down #25 Campbellsville University. Flying high from two-straight wins in the opening day of the event, the team had a far from typical night as the restaurant they went to for a post-game meal was struck by lightning.

A week later, they got a little bit of a surprise as conference foe Marian University beat them twice, including the championship game of the Earlham College Classic. While the Knights eventually went on to place second place in the MCC regular season, it provided a small sliver of doubt into Goshen’s mind about how well they would fare in the conference campaign.

Just days later, though, the doubt was erased as the Leafs dominated Huntington University in both teams’ conference opener.

At 6-4 on the young season, however, a major turning point in the season was just around the corner. After opening the Indiana Wesleyan Invitational with a win, Goshen lost senior setter Lindsay Nofziger to a broken finger. Shifting to a one-setter system, they went on to drop each of their final three matches in the tournament.

The troubles continued. While the Maple Leafs have historically not had success against Indiana Wesleyan, they had them on the ropes in their return trip to Marion just days after the tournament appearance. Instead of a historic win, Goshen dropped to 1-1 in conference play and lacked confidence as they moved forward.

Following an eleven-day layoff, the Leafs returned to the court and did not fare much better. They dropped matches to Manchester and Huntington – both squads they had swept earlier in the season.

With the season quickly slipping away at 7-10, Goshen’s season took another dramatic turn. A sweep of Grace put the Leafs back on track before an exciting and gritty five-set win at Davenport signaled their comeback. Goshen rolled off three more sweeps at home as they took down Marygrove, Saint Francis, and Bethel in straight sets.

The win over Bethel was the Leafs first since 2002, but it was a non-conference meeting.

Three days later, Goshen fell victim to the Pilots when it counted towards the MCC standings. A week after that, the Leafs again faced off against Marian University with major implications in the conference standings.

In another atypical night, the team bus broke down on the way to Indianapolis. Goshen arrived late to the match, but quickly recovered by winning the first two sets. In the latest of many twists, the Knights came roaring back with three-straight set wins to take the match in devastating fashion.

The Maple Leafs were back down, but they were not out. With third-place Spring Arbor heading into town for the regular-season home finale, Goshen sent its seniors out in style with a resounding 27-25, 25-21, 25-19 victory. The win completed a perfect 2009 regular season at the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center with the Leafs not dropping a single set at home (21-0).

The up-and-down regular season had enough high points that Goshen earned the No. 3 seed for the MCC Tournament and with it their second ever home tournament match. As fate would have it, the Leafs were matched up against Bethel for the fourth time in 2009. Goshen defending their home court with a 3-1 win sending them to the semifinals for the second-straight year.

It was another familiar opponent for Goshen in the semifinal round as they traveled to Marian. With a 0-3 mark against the Knights on the season, the odds were against the Leafs. In one of the most epic matches in the entire conference schedule, Goshen came from a set down twice for a 23-25, 31-29, 22-25, 25-21, 17-15 victory. With the win, the Leafs advanced to the first MCC Championship in program history, eventually falling to Taylor University.

“This was an awesome group of young ladies that learned to believe in themselves and their abilities,” Routhier said. “Throughout the season, we worked on confidence and reaching our potential. In the end, the girls reached their goal of confidence and belief.”

While the team accomplishments always came first to this group, the individual accolades certainly followed. Junior Peni Acayo put together one of the most complete and outstanding seasons in program history as she totaled 554 kills, 57 blocks, and 437 digs. She was rewarded with MCC Player of the Year, AVCA Mid-Central Region POY, and NAIA First-Team All American honors, all program firsts.

Acayo would be the first to credit her teammates and they did not go unnoticed by conference coaches either. Fellow junior Kelsey Herschberger – in her first season as a libero – was named All MCC First Team after racking up 529 digs, more than her first two seasons combined. Senior Ashley Janssen was picked Second Team All MCC for the second-straight season after posting a career-high 282 kills, while senior setter Allison Hawkins was named MCC honorable mention.

“I am very proud of the girls for their hard work and constant positive attitude in working toward and achieving their goals,” Routhier concluded. “We set ‘Building Champions of Character’ as our program motto and this team has set the tone for the future.”

Stacy Wyse

GOSHEN, Ind. – Just days after announcing his first 2010 recruit – Chelsea Schmucker – Goshen College volleyball head coach Jim Routhier is at it again.

This time, the addition comes in All Ohio setter Stacy Wyse of Archbold High School.

“Stacy is a great addition to our program,” Routhier said.  “The setter is the quarterback of the team and Stacy is a leader and an outstanding setter at the top level.”

Wyse is coming off an award packed senior season that included First Team All-Ohio, First Team District 7, District 7 Player of the Year, and First Team All Northwest Ohio Athletic League honors.

“Stacy is a ‘winner’ and she has proved it over and over at Archbold, which is an outstanding winning program,” Routhier added.  “She has great skills and a winning attitude that will fit in perfect with our team.  Stacy is a key element we needed to bring our program to the championship level.”

Wyse became the second to sign a letter of intent for 2010

Archbold went 19-1 last season with Wyse controlling the offense and Routhier thinks her skills will translate well to his Maple Leaf squad that graduated two senior setters after making a run to their first MCC Championship game in 2009.

Wyse posted 799 assists at a 98% success rate last season.  A three-time all league and all district selection, Wyse also had 209 digs, 80 aces, and 51 kills during her final high school season.  She was recognized by local media outlets several times with player of the week honors and was picked as the 2009 Crecent News Player of the Year.

Equally impressive off the court, Wyse has been given the Scholar-Athlete award and recognized for her academic achievement by the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association each of the last two seasons.  She intends on majoring in American Sign Language (ASL) at Goshen College beginning next fall.

“After visiting I was pretty positive that Goshen was the college for me because it had a wonderful volleyball program with great girls and a major that I was interested in,” Wyse said of her decision.  “I am truly excited to attend Goshen next year and can’t wait to get a volleyball in my hands and set for the Maple Leafs!.”

Routhier continues to put together his 2010 roster after graduating four seniors.  Check back to this website for the most updated recruiting information.

Chelsea Schmucker with Coach Jim Routhier

GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College volleyball program has come a long way in the last few seasons.  This year’s senior class – winners of five matches their first season – helped lead the Maple Leafs all the way to the Mid-Central College Conference Championship this season.

While first-year head coach Jim Routhier has to replace four seniors, he is confident that he can build on what the outstanding class has started.  He took the first step this week announcing his first 2010 recruit in Pettisville High School standout Chelsea Schmucker.

A First Team All Buckeye Border Conference (BBC) and First Team All District 7 selection, Schmucker has the athleticism and skills to play multiple positions for the Maple Leafs next season.  She was also honored with scholar-athlete awards by both the BBC and District 7.

“Chelsea is a great solid all-around player that exhibits excellent skills as well as being a very intelligent player,” Routhier said.  “She is steady and reliable player that will fit very well into our offense and defense.”

In her senior season, Schmucker pounded down an impressive 390 kills at a clip of 39%.  She also totaled 270 digs and 32 service aces as she displayed the versatility Routhier was looking for.

“Chelsea has a great positive winning attitude that will fit in very well with our team philosophy,” Routhier explained.  “We are pleased she has chosen to join us and are excited about the future.”

Routhier expects several more signings in the upcoming weeks.  Check back to this website for the most updated recruiting information.

Junior Peni Acayo

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – After compiling perhaps the best overall season in Goshen College volleyball program history, the awards keep flying in for junior Peni Acayo (Kampala, Uganda).

After being selected as the Mid-Central College Conference Player of the Year at the conclusion of the MCC Tournament, Acayo was named the program’s first-ever NAIA All American First Team this weekend as part of the national championships.

In addition to her conference and All American honors, Acayo was also tabbed as the Mid-Central Region Player of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

The high-flying Ugandan racked up a career-high 554 kills this season, ranking her in the top ten in the country – among 239 NAIA schools who participate in intercollegiate volleyball.  She compiled up the impressive total with a solid hitting percentage of .277, while being the main target of opposing teams who created entire defensive schemes around stopping her.

2009 NAIA All American First Team

Acayo’s 4.29 kills per set was the fourth highest in Maple Leaf history – she also holds the second-highest mark at 4.59 as a freshman.  In their final match of the season, Acayo put her name atop the program’s career kills list and will head into her senior season with 1,447.

Opponents are also well aware of Acayo’s deadly jump serve.  She holds three of the highest 15 single season totals for service aces and already ranks fourth all-time in Goshen College history with 167 aces.

What really made Acayo an all-around threat this season – ultimately boosting her resume for All American and MCC POY honors – was her defensive prowess.  Acayo finished the season 10th in the MCC in digs with 437, nearly double her previous single-season total.  She also compiled 57 total blocks, making her just as dangerous at the net as in the back row.

“The thing that really separated her from some other outstanding players, was her ability to play so effectively in all aspects of the game,” said first-year head coach Jim Routhier.

The all-around game of Acayo has helped the Maple Leafs reach new heights as well.  Named the NAIA Region VIII Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, Acayo was then an NAIA All American Honorable Mention pick after leading Goshen to their second ever MCC Semifinal during her sophomore season.

The Maple Leafs took it a step further in 2009 as they made a run through the MCC Tournament to reach their first championship match, where Acayo tallied her record-breaking kill.  Despite losing four seniors following this season, Goshen will still have Acayo and all conference selections Kelsey Herschberger (2009) and Brittany Herschberger (2008) as they look to continue the rapid improvement of the program.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A year after recording a Goshen College record 50 Daktronics-NAIA All American Scholar-Athlete awards, Maple Leaf student-athletes are again on a historic pace.

As fall national championships wrap up at multiple sites throughout the country, the academic awards continue to roll in.  After eight Goshen College cross country student-athletes were recognized with the honor in mid-November, 21 more soccer and volleyball players received recognition this week.

Nominated by each institution’s head coach, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have achieved junior academic status to qualify.

In men’s soccer, an incredible 10 student-athletes earned the scholar-athlete award as the Leafs tied with Westminster (Utah) College for the most of any program in the country.

The complete list of award winners for the men’s soccer team is: Mark Hershberger (Harrisonburg, Va.), Nick Good (Lititz, Pa.), Alex Caskey (Goshen, Ind.), Jordan Delp (Quakertown, Pa.), Drew Stoltzfus (Souderton, Pa.), Martin Brubaker (Goshen, Ind.), Rick Eigsti (Goshen, Ind.), David Shenk (Harrisonburg, Va.), Luke Woodworth (Middlebury, Ind.) and Kyle Stiffney (Goshen, Ind.).

Five members of the Maple Leaf volleyball team also earned the national recognition.  Senior’s Allison Hawkins (Middlebury, Ind.), Ashley Janssen (Crawfordsville, Ind.), Gina Richard (Goshen, Ind.) and junior’s Brittany Herschberger (Goshen, Ind.) and Alicia Schwartzentruber (Goshen, Ind.) each were recognized for their work in the classroom.  The feat is even more impressive considering three of them have been named to the all MCC teams at least once during their career.

The women’s soccer team continued their tradition of excelling in the classroom as six players were honored, including Elizabeth Gunden (Chelsea, Mich.), Chloe Mathonnet-Vanderwell (Pella, Iowa), Heather Zimmerman (Barrigada, Guam), Trish Hershberger (Aurora, Ore.), Liz Nafziger (Goshen, Ind.) and Laura Schlabach (Goshen, Ind.).

For the Goshen College women’s cross country team, senior’s Maria Byler, Michelle Miller, Renee Miller, and Tina Peters were all recipients, while Ben Bouwman, Nick Bouwman, Zac Miller, and Max Wyse – all seniors – all were honored on the men’s team.

The fall total – cross country, soccer, and volleyball, is 29 for the Maple Leafs, two more than the total of last fall at this time.  Prior to the 2008-09 school year, the highest total in an entire academic year for Goshen was 24.  That number was smashed last year and has already been surpassed once again this year.  Tennis will be awarded in the spring.

Earlier this fall, a video was produced – featuring senior Tina Peters – to honor the outstanding student-athletes at Goshen College.  Click here to view the video and learn more about academics and athletics at Goshen College.

A drastic turnaround started by former head coach Jewel Lehman saw the first-ever MCC Freshman of the Year in 2007 as three Maple Leafs were honored in the same year.  Last season, the Leafs had three players on the first two All MCC teams and reached the MCC Semifinals for just the second time in their history.

As first-year head coach Jim Routhier took over this season, the strides continued and came to completion on Saturday as Goshen played in their first-ever MCC Championship match.  While they were unable to knock off the highly-ranked Trojans of Taylor, conference coaches recognized the Leafs with four all conference selections.

Peni Acayo

Leading the way – like she has all season – was junior Peni Acayo.  The Kampala, Uganda native was named the program’s first-ever Mid-Central College Conference Player of the Year on Saturday.

During her junior season, Acayo racked up 554 kills, 45 service aces, 437 digs, and 57 blocks.  She had 10 or more kills in 30 of 33 matches and 20 or more kills 10 times.  Acayo was also often at her best, when it mattered most.  She posted a season-high 29 kills as the Leafs took a five-setter on the road in the MCC Semifinal at Marian last week.

A versatile threat, Acayo posted at least one service ace in 22 matches, including a string of 10 in a row midway through the season.  She also registered double-digits in digs on 22 occasions, including a career high 31 against Mount Mercy College on October 23.

Kelsey Herschberger

Joining Acayo on the All MCC First Team was junior Kelsey Herschberger.  After racking up more than 100 kills in each of her first two seasons in a Maple Leaf uniform, Herschberger switched to the libero role with ease this season.

Herschberger finished the season with 529 digs, more than her first two season combined.  She posted double-digits in digs in 27 of Goshen’s 33 matches and had more than 20 digs 10 different times.  The junior also had 17 assists and 30 service aces and was named the MCC Libero of the Week on October 5.

Ashley Janssen

For the second year in a row, senior Ashley Janssen was tabbed to the All MCC Second Team.  The outside hitter from Crawfordsville, Ind. finished the season with a career-high 282 kills.

Janssen was a viable second option for the Leafs, ending 11 matches with double-digits in kills.  She also led Goshen with 103 total blocks.  At the conclusion of her career, Janssen is ranked sixth on the program’s all-time kills chart with 1,045.  Janssen is also 11th all-time at Goshen with 237 blocks.

Allison Hawkins

Also recognized by the conference coaches on Saturday was senior Allison Hawkins.  Despite playing in a two-setter system for most of the season, Hawkins earned her second career All MCC Honorable Mention selection as she totaled 780 assists.

Hawkins concludes her career second on Goshen’s all-time assists list with 3,106 assists.  She tallied more than 20 assists 19 times in 2009, including a season-high 46 against the University of Saint Francis on September 12.

The Maple Leafs were unable to hand the NAIA #16 Trojans their first loss of the season to a conference opponent.  They were, however, able to bask in the accomplishment of getting to the program’s first-ever MCC title contest just one year after reaching only their second ever semifinal.

Meanwhile, junior Peni Acayo led Goshen with 17 kills.  Her second of the evening – coming midway through the first set – broke the Goshen College career kills record.  Acayo finishes her junior year with 1,447, surpassing Anna Herdeck’s 1,431.

Unfortunately, that was one the biggest highlight for the Leafs on this day as they struggled to slow the potent attack of the Trojans who earned their first NAIA National Championship appearance since 2001.

After Taylor jumped out early in the first set, Goshen was able to put together a 10-3 run to pull within 23-20.  Two straight Trojans kills, however, closed the door in the first set as Taylor won 25-20.  The second set was much of the same as the Leafs dug an early 15-7 hole and could not fight all the way back.

In the final set, an Allison Hawkins ace gave Goshen their only lead of the match at 2-1, but Taylor eventually used a 14-4 streak to put the championship out of reach.

The Trojans ended the Maple Leafs season for the third-straight year, but each year has come one step further into the MCC Tournament.  Goshen finishes the 2009 campaign at 17-16 in head coach Jim Routhier’s first season at the helm.