When Bellefontaine’s Mullaney Yoder first took up the sport of volleyball, she wasn’t sure if she was capable of playing at the college level. But as she grew and developed her talent, her feelings changed.
“I wanted to play college volleyball since I was young, but I wasn’t always sure it was realistic,” she said. “A few years ago when I got into club volleyball and into high school, I continued to improve and I started to feel like playing in college could be a reality.”
Yoder did make it a reality recently when she finalized her plans to play for Wittenberg, an NCAA Division III program.
She also gave consideration to Otterbein and Heidelberg, but said Wittenberg was her top choice all along.
“The first time I visited Wittenberg it felt like home,” said Yoder. “I love how close it is to home and to my family. I also love the girls on the team and the coaches. They have a great team atmosphere and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Yoder made an immediate impression on first-year Bellefontaine volleyball coach Bri Frazier this fall.
“As a first-year coach, and new to this program, the first time I saw Mullaney play, she impressed me,” said Frazier. “It’s a huge accomplishment for anyone, but especially for our program. I am proud of all her hard work and her dedication to volleyball.”
Bellefontaine improved from two wins last season to seven victories this year, and Yoder was a big factor in that improvement.
She earned first-team all-Central Buckeye Conference and District 9 honors. She tallied 263 kills, 93 blocks and 47 aces.
“We relied on her to do a little bit of everything this year,” said Frazier. “In the front row, she blocked and hit the ball for our offense, and in the back row she dug the ball and played defense. She always got the team excited with a monster block or a huge kill, it always gave us momentum even if we were down. She was a huge asset this year for the Chiefs volleyball program.”
Frazier believes Yoder will have no problem making the transition to the college game.
“I think she will fit in very well at Wittenberg,” said Frazier. “She is very sociable and made friends with everyone. Being such a versatile player, they will use her strength any way they can.”
Yoder is focused on continuing to step up her game as she prepares to play for the Tigers.
“There’s definitely a big difference from playing at the high school level to college, so I want to continue to build my confidence and have a strong drive to improve,” she said. “I also want to work to be the best teammate I can be.”