Lasater was a key member of Bentonville High’s volleyball team that captured back-to-back Arkansas 7A state championships in 2010 and 2011. An honor roll student, Lasater received the Academic Excellence Award from Bentonville High the last four years.

“Maggie is a versatile athlete who was recruited primarily as a setter but is capable of playing any position,” Cleveland said. “She is a quiet and respected leader who knows how to run an offense.

Maggie will be a positive influence both on and off the court at Hesston College. I am excited to add her to our program.”

Lasater is active in preschool ministry at Cross Church, Rogers, Ark., where she is a member. She is the daughter of Tod and Shelly Lasater, Bella Vista, Ark.

“I look forward to working with Robin,” Cleveland said. “She’ll be a great fit on the Hesston campus and in our volleyball program.”

An honor roll student at Haven High, Morris plans to study nursing at Hesston. She is a member of Faith Mennonite Church, South Hutchinson, Kan., and is active in the youth group there.

Morris is the daughter of Loren and Pam Morris, Hutchinson, Kan.

2012 Hesston College Volleyball recruit Vanessa Eubank

Hesston College volleyball coach Jessica Cleveland announced Vanessa Eubank, a senior at Cortez High School, Phoenix, Ariz., as the first signee of the 2012 recruiting class.

A 5’5” setter, Eubank is a four-year varsity starter and three-time co-captain for Cortez High. In 2011 she was selected as a first-team all-district and all-state honorable mention player. For her career, Eubank racked up over 1400 career assists while serving at a 93.8 percent clip. Eubank played club volleyball for Club Arrowhead from 2006-2010 and for Arizona Volleyball Club (AZVC) in 2011.

A National Honor Society member, Eubank has volunteered with Special Olympics, St. Mary’s food bank and Glencroft Retirement Center, Glendale, Ariz. She is an active member of Trinity Mennonite Church in Glendale.

 Eubank is the daughter of Leaven and Becky Eubank, Phoenix.

Hesston sophomores Taylor Hoover (Souderton, Pa.), Alyssa Horst (Orrville, Ohio), Kendra Mast (Dundee, Ohio) and Kate Steury (New Paris, Ind.) all contributed to the win.

With an 8-23 final overall record, Hesston Volleyball enjoyed a six-game improvement over last year’s squad.

Now 7-20, Hesston travels to Butler Community College, El Dorado, Kan., on Wednesday, Oct. 19 for a 6:30 p.m. match. 

With seven games still remaining, the young Larks’ squad have tripled last year’s win total.

Up next is a double header at Friends University JV, Wichita, Kan., on Monday, Oct. 10, beginning at 5 p.m.

Three said yes.    

After a year on the Hesston campus, Alyssa Horst, Orrville, Ohio; Kendra Mast, Dundee, Ohio; and Kate Steury, New Paris, Ind., had established roots and developed meaningful relationships with friends, faculty and staff. Their time at Hesston involved more than just volleyball, and ultimately, ties to various aspects of their college experience, as well as the chance to give the sport they loved another shot, outweighed a rough year on the volleyball court.

In retrospect, all three are happy they returned.

“There were definitely times when I was pretty sure I was not going to return to school,” Mast said. “The people at Hesston were a huge factor in me coming back. I’ve made friends here that I know I will keep for a lifetime and I just couldn’t bring myself to walk away from that. After meeting Coach Cleveland and getting to know her a little I saw how good she would be for the volleyball program and I had a good feeling about this season.”

“Last year was very difficult, but I decided to take that as a challenge rather than a chance to step down,” said Horst, a co-captain on this year’s squad. “After meeting Jessica and talking with her I had high hopes for this season. Spring season went really well and I felt like the practices were very productive, so I decided to come back.”

Steury, also a co-captain, decided early in her freshman year to return. “It was never a question for me to continue with volleyball after last season. It was difficult, but the good memories made with the team and the chance to keep playing outweighed the negatives. The spring season gave us a chance to bond with the new coach and learn her system. I appreciate Coach Cleveland’s commitment to improving our skills and working on us individually.”

“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of returning players for my first year,” Cleveland said. “Their athletic ability, determination and experience have been invaluable. Having a year under their belt was huge because they’ve seen how competitive our conference is. I knew they’d be able to set a standard for the incoming players. I can’t take the credit for recruiting them, but they are exactly the type of student athletes that we want at Hesston.”

While helping to lead a resurgence on the court, the three holdovers from last year’s roster have been rewarded with a second impactful year. The nurturing and supportive environment that Hesston’s campus provided became a foundation for growth they say will stick with them for a lifetime.

“Being so far away from home has definitely been huge for me because I had to learn to depend on myself and make decisions for myself,” Mast said. “Looking back at the beginning of last year to now – it’s just incredible to me how much I have learned and experienced being here at Hesston in such a short time.”

“The students and community make Hesston one of a kind,” Horst said. “No matter where I go after Hesston I doubt I will find the same family feel. Being a part of the volleyball team helped me adapt to college life quickly, and I love all the activities that are constantly happening on campus. It’s awesome that our faculty, staff and students have that motivation to get the campus involved in so many different ways.”

How could this story get any better? The Larks are playing better volleyball, that’s how. Less than halfway through the season Cleveland’s young team had already doubled the win total from a year ago. More importantly, they are playing competitive matches every time they hit the court.
 
If Cleveland has it her way, future players may very well point to this team as the group that steered the Hesston program back toward its winning ways. It wasn’t long ago, Larks fans will recall, that Hesston volleyball was perhaps the strongest program on campus. From 2001 to 2007, Hesston volleyball recorded seven consecutive winning seasons, averaging more than 23 wins a year and twice advancing to district championship games. The 1997 team capped off a tremendous season by finishing second in the nation.

“Years from now I hope players will be able to look back and thank this year’s group for doing so much good for the program,” Cleveland said. “They are the ones putting in the dirty work to make the program grow. I respect them for their resilience. Women like these are the reason I coach, and I hope to impact their lives as much as they have already impacted mine. I will never forget my first year as a coach. We might not have a winning record but we are having a successful season because of the family atmosphere that has developed. Alyssa, Kendra and Kate have been instrumental in our success.”

Hearing the returners’ talk of their time at Hesston, the mutual satisfaction is apparent.

“I cannot think of a negative thing to say about Hesston,” said Steury, who also serves the campus as a resident assistant in the women’s dorms. “I’ve enjoyed the instant chemistry that has taken over our team. I love the student body, campus activities and relationships with the faculty and staff. The privilege of being able to discuss God’s work in an educational setting has been wonderful. I’m looking forward to getting to know more people on campus and seeing where this season takes us.”

After dropping the first game 25-17 on Friday, Hesston stormed back to take the next three by scores of 25-18, 25-10 and 25-16 to secure the win. Sophomores Alyssa Horst (Orrville, Ohio,), Kendra Mast (Dundee, Ohio) and Kate Steury (New Paris, Ind.) each had nine kills, while freshman Alison Scheetz (Raytown, Mo.) had 32 assists on the day. Horst added a team-high 12 digs.

On Saturday, the Larks battled hard against an athletic Southeast squad, with the first three games all being decided by two points. Mast led with 11 kills while Horst and freshman Mollie Nebel (Hesston, Kan.) each chipped in with nine. Marissa Schuett (Wichita, Kan.) had an outstanding match, leading the Larks with 14 digs and 27 serve receptions.

“We battled hard this weekend,” said Hesston coach Jessica Cleveland. “Several parents drove long hours to watch their daughters play for the first time this season and it was fun to play in front of a great crowd. It was encouraging to hear positive words from alumni, community and parents in the midst of rebuilding our program. The players have put tremendous efforts and long hours into making themselves and the program better.”

The Larks host Hutchinson (Kan.) CC on Monday, Sept. 26, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

“Tonight was the first time since the first day of practice that we’ve had everyone healthy,” said first-year Larks coach Jessica Cleveland. “They played well as a team and were motivated to play together for the first time.”

In search of season win number five, Hesston travels to Hillsboro, Kan., to take on Tabor College JV on Monday, Sept. 19 at 5 p.m.

The Larks look to make it two in a row when they travel to Chanute, Kan., to take on Neosho County Community College on Wednesday., Sept. 14, beginning at 6:30 p.m.