Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Haley Yoder, MSU-Northern Volleyball

Haley Yoder doesn't like cold weather. And her distaste for long winters almost stopped her from becoming a volleyball player for the Montana State University-Northern Skylights.

But Yoder loved two things that got her to Northern. Obviously, she loves the sport of volleyball, and she wanted to play it at the collegiate level. And she also loves small towns and wanted a small-town atmosphere as she moved on from high school.

"Honestly, at first, I didn't want to come to Montana for college," Yoder, now a sophomore starter for the Skylights said. "I hate the cold and just couldn't see myself living in Montana. But when I got to Havre, right when I drove into town, I could see what a great small-town atmosphere it was here. I'm from a small town. I didn't want to go to a big college. So right away, Havre just felt like home, and now I love it here."

While Yoder might have had her reservations about enduring Havre's cold winter ahead, she was also more than a little nervous about transitioning from high school volleyball to the collegiate level. And when she found out she was going to be in the starting lineup back in August 2016, the nervousness went way up.

"It was scary," Yoder, who finished last season with 157 kills and a team-high 48 blocks said of playing as a freshman. "I played very competitive volleyball in Washington, but, nothing prepares you for your first game in college. It was really intimidating at first. But as the season went on, and I got more comfortable, I was able to just relax and play. So while it's a really hard transition, it does get easier."

And it obviously did for Yoder, who was a big part of a resurgent Northern squad which finished fifth in the Frontier Conference last season. And while she's just a sophomore, this fall, Yoder isn't just a returning starter, she's one of the veteran leaders on a Skylight squad that has undergone plenty of changes, with head coach Rose Obunaga taking over for veteran head coach Bill Huebsch.

But while things have certainly been different over the course of the first six weeks of her sophomore season, including a recent position change, Yoder said her Skylights are now well-bonded and ready to take on the challenges of the Frontier Conference.

"I'm excited for the next few months," Yoder said. "There are a lot of returners on this team, so we all know each other a lot better now, and we're much more comfortable playing together. So this is going to be an exciting season for us."

The Frontier season starts tonight for the Skylights, who play at Rocky Mountain College in Billings. But what's even more exciting to Yoder is the Skylights are just two days away from their home debut. Before Northern takes on UM-Western Saturday in the Armory Gymnasium, we caught up with Yoder, an elementary education major from Vancouver, Washington, for five questions.

HDN: How has this season been different from your freshman year for you as a player?

Yoder: "Last year, I think I was just still getting to know all the girls. This year, there are a lot of returners, so it has been much easier because we all know each other so well. And going into a new season was easier because I knew a lot more of what to expect."

HDN: You are changing positions, from a middle to an outside hitter?

Yoder: "That's probably the biggest change for me. I haven't played there since my sophomore year of high school. But I'm excited about it. Everybody loves the action right? I'm a little nervous, too, because I haven't played that position in four years, but, having a year under my belt playing college volleyball, I think that will really help. So I'm excited about it."

HDN: We know how important it is for a team to have great chemistry on the court. What is your team like together away from volleyball?

Yoder: "We love to have fun together. We have a lot of movie nights. I'm living off campus now, and my roommate is Hailey Warren (MSU-N setter). And we're always having the girls over, whether we're doing homework, or laundry or them coming over to eat our food. We just chill together and it's a lot of fun."

HDN: Conference play is here, and you guys are playing well. What's some goals going forward?

Yoder: "We want to make sure we play with high energy every single match. We need to make sure we stay together, that we have each other's backs out there. Cheer for each other and push each other. And we want to make sure we keep improving. I think we have a lot already, but we need to make sure we just keep getting better."

HDN: It's almost time to play in the Armory. How excited are you for that match against Western?

Yoder: Unbelievably excited. Playing at home is the best. You know your friends are gonna be there. You know how much the community and the school comes out and supports us, and having been here for a year now, I know how loud our fans get, so it just has me so excited for that first match of the year. I just can't wait."