EMU volleyball player Maria Yoder (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) has earned a unique honor, named to a repeat spot on the Google Cloud District 5 Academic All-District Team. The award recognizes her work both in the athletic and academic spheres at Eastern Mennonite University.
Yoder was also named Academic All-District in 2017, as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). She is now eligible for CoSIDA’s Academic All-America voting.
“It’s an honor to be recognized among other fantastic scholar-athletes,” Yoder said. “I’m so appreciative of the support I’ve received from the athletic department in making academics a priority, as well as the flexibility and support from professors when volleyball interferes with coursework. I’ve been pushed and had wonderful role models in both academics and athletics these past four years.”
In her fourth year as a starter for the Royals, Yoder finished with 158 kills, 60 blocks and 36 aces. She was first or second on the team in all three categories. Additionally, Yoder came in 12th in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in both aces and blocks, while her 12 solo stuffs were seventh in the league.
She ended her career with 123 aces, helping the Royals lead the ODAC in aces each of her final two seasons. Yoder stands No. 8 in EMU Career Sets Played, and narrowly missed the Top 10 in career blocks, kills and aces.
Academically, the Yoder Scholar holds a 3.98 GPA, majoring in biology with minors of honors and psychology. She studied in Guatemala and Columbia in the spring of 2017 as part of EMU’s cross cultural study program. On campus, Yoder is a member of EMU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Pre-Professional Health Club, and also plays cello in the Chamber Orchestra.
Coach Carrie Bert said her two-year captain had high expectations for herself every time she stepped on the court, noting that the strategy and gamesmanship of volleyball intrigued and inspired her.
That same drive bubbled over into Yoder’s life off the court.
“As a student, Maria is energized rather than discouraged, by challenging course work,” Coach Bert explained. “After completing her cross cultural, Maria returned to Guatemala over her next spring break to conduct medical research that considered structural barriers to health care. She spent half of this past summer in Peru researching their health care system. Maria has carried a heavy course load, even in season, which required many hours of studying on the bus. While her future aspirations have changed recently, Maria will undoubtedly do important and meaningful work. She has modeled this commitment and drive for excellence during her four years as a Royal.”
The criteria for the All-District program states that a player must be of sophomore academic standing, be a starter or important reserve and claim a GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale. Eastern Mennonite is a member of District 5, which includes players from NCAA D-III institutions in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Yoder was one of three women from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference honored on the seven-woman team from District 5.
Click here to see the entire list of Academic All-District Women’s Volleyball Teams.