Joplin Yoder latest Lady Hawk to head west to Ashland U.
Hiland coach Brady Schlabach, right, sings the praises of outstanding center Joplin Yoder during her official signing to play collegiate basketball at Ashland University.
In recent years the Hiland girls basketball team has had several players continue their academic and athletic careers at Ashland University.
Joplin Yoder is the latest Lady Hawk to continue the Berlin to Ashland pipeline.
The Hiland senior made it official when she signed a national letter of intent on Nov. 13.
“(Ashland) has very similar goals (to Hiland),” Yoder said about what made AU the right fit. “They want to win a national championship, and our goal at Hiland is always to get to state and win a championship there, so I feel like they just have a very similar program, and their goals are pretty much the same, just on the next level.”
A few other schools contacted Yoder, who said AU’s coaching staff played a role in her decision to go there.
“The coaches are amazing there,” she said. “They’re so much fun to talk to.”
Playing basketball in college was always a goal. It started to look like it might become a reality during her sophomore and junior years.
“I started to get better, and all the pieces started falling together,” Yoder said.
Yoder didn’t improve as a player by luck. She spent a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger down on the post while also devoting countless hours to improving her ballhandling.
Yoder’s added strength and improved ballhandling skills make her a difficult player to guard because of her size.
“(Bringing the ball up the court) is kind of a rare thing for post players to do,” said Yoder, who is 5-foot-11. “Usually, they just give it to the point guard right away, so me bringing it up the court, I think, sometimes it gets the other team a little out of position because (our point guard) isn’t the one bringing it up, and they’re so used to that, so I think it’s just a little different aspect of our offense.”
Hiland coach Brady Schlabach has seen Yoder come into her own as a player over the past few years. The biggest change he’s seen from her during her senior year has been her leadership abilities on and off the court.
“On the leadership and emotional side of things, she has really stepped up for us and our team and been a big part of what we do,” Schlabach said.
Yoder’s leadership skills were displayed during the third quarter of Hiland’s come-from-behind win over Tusky Valley.
“Tusky Valley is going on a big run,” Schlabach said. “They hit a big shot. I think they got fouled on an and-one, and Joplin was the one who called everyone into a huddle out on the floor and was talking to them. Thinking back on it, that was the first moment I really started to see and kind of sense from her that she wants to take this leadership role head-on.”
Yoder will soon chase after national championships at Ashland University. First, though, she’s hoping to bring home another state title to Berlin.
“We always want to get back to state to get a chance to win another state championship,” Yoder said of her season goals. “For me personally, I want to continue to be a strong leader and be able to be controlled and handle pressure and help my team out in whatever way I can.”