From: Vol. 1, Issue 8, May 11-17, 2006
By Erin O’Neill
San Clemente Times
Cory Yoder is the latest Yoder to impact Tritons volleyball
Yoder. It’s a name quite literally synonymous with volleyball in San Clemente. As San Clemente High School senior Cory Yoder puts the final touches on his own Tritons legacy while helping to lead this year’s team to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoffs that start this Friday, he does so knowing that with each step the team takes, he’s adding yet another chapter to the Yoder volleyball story as well.
Volleyball has always been a family affair for his family. Cory, a 6-foot-2-inch outside hitter, began playing volleyball at the age of five when he and his father, Robert, would team up against his older brother, Curtis, and his mother, Wendy, on a sand court near a lagoon in Irvine. His parents were high school sweethearts at San Clemente, where his father played volleyball before going on to play for-and then coach-the USC Trojans. His mother, a former SCHS homecoming queen, didn’t play volleyball in high school, but today plays volleyball on the beach three times a week. Curtis played three years for the Tritons (two with Cory), and his younger sister, Erin, made varsity this year as a freshman.
“My dad was always encouraging me and [my siblings] in volleyball,” said Cory, who leads the top 10-ranked Tritons this year in kills. “Not forcing us, but just helping us to play our best, giving us all the coaching tips that he could.”
Success is something Cory credits not only to his father’s experience and guidance, but also to his coach at San Clemente, Ken Goldstone. “He knows how to get us motivated,” says Cory, whose cousin Parker also plays on the Triton team. “He stresses the same thing every year-defense, passing and serving-the fundamentals, which is why I think we win, because we’re good at defense. We’re never really big, but we’re always pretty good.”
Goldstone’s efforts to sculpt this hungry, height-challenged squad has obviously paid dividends, a point not lost on Yoder. As the team captain who constantly has to lead not only by action but also by words, Yoder has advice for future Triton players. “Work really hard on what Coach Goldstone’s trying to teach you and don’t take your time in high school for granted,” says Yoder, “because you won’t ever get high school volleyball again, and it’s pretty fun. Have fun while you can.”
Yoder’s success has translated into a bit of a cult following: his friends show up at games wearing “Cory Yo Is My Hero” T-shirts. Over the years, recruiters from volleyball powerhouses such as USC, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara have made San Clemente a must-stop to gauge his progress since he made varsity as a freshman. He has decided to play collegiately at nearby UC Irvine, a team that spent much of the past year as the No.1 team in the country. So those “Cory Yo” T-shirts have extra shelf life following the outcome of this year’s CIF playoffs just up the 5 at the Bren Center in Irvine.
As his high school career winds down and Yoder takes stock of the many influences and memories to date, he harkens back to some words of wisdom imparted to him by a coach on the Junior Olympic team on which Cory played in Brazil last summer. “He told us the reason we got involved in volleyball in the first place was to have fun, so go out and have fun,” recalls Cory, who has served as San Clemente’s captain the past two years. “So that’s what I tell our team whenever we’re in a stressful situation; we’ve just got to get out there and have some fun, and then we’ll play well.”
Great advice, just like that passed down from generation to generation of volleyball-playing Yoders. Next year, all eyes on Erin. Well, not that some eyes weren’t already on her this past season as she made a quick name for herself as a freshman on varsity. The last name is Yoder, after all… (No pressure, of course, Erin.)
The Tritons open up CIF play at home against Los Alamitos at 7 p.m.; check out www.sctritons.com for the latest information.
Quick Three
Favorite food in town: Pedro’s or La Tiendita
Top post-game activity: Hanging out in the local community Jacuzzis with teammates
Plans for summer: Surfing and hanging out on the beach with friends