SELINSGROVE, PA – Susquehanna University women's volleyball head coach Johnny Powell has announced the addition of Shawn Yoder to the River Hawks' coaching staff as an assistant coach for the 2026 season.

Yoder brings more than a decade of coaching experience across the NCAA Division I and Division III levels, high school and club volleyball to Susquehanna. His coaching background includes stops at the University of Mary Washington, Marymount University, Hampton University and Granby High School.

Yoder spent time as a volunteer assistant coach with the University of Mary Washington women's volleyball program during one of the most successful stretches in program history. The run culminated in 2016 when the Eagles finished 31-4 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight, marking the deepest NCAA Tournament run in program history. During that stretch, Mary Washington also produced the first AVCA All-American in program history.

Yoder then joined the Marymount University men's volleyball staff for the 2016-17 season. The Saints posted a 19-10 overall record and went 13-1 in Continental Volleyball Conference play en route to the CVC regular-season championship. Marymount earned the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and climbed as high as No. 8 in the AVCA Division III national rankings. The program also produced an AVCA First-Team All-American and the CVC Player of the Year. He later added NCAA Division I experience as a volunteer assistant coach at Hampton University.

At the high school level, Yoder served as an assistant coach at Granby High School during two of the program's strongest seasons in recent history. Granby advanced to the Virginia state semifinals in 2024 before reaching the state championship match in 2025 and finishing as the state runner-up.

In addition to his coaching experience, Yoder has an extensive playing background in indoor, beach and grass volleyball. Much of his competitive experience came in beach volleyball, where he competed in AVP qualifiers and AVPNext events, earning local and regional tournament victories while also training and competing alongside professional and national-team-level players. He also competed on the grass volleyball circuit, including at the Pottstown Rumble.

"Beach volleyball changed the way I look at player development," Yoder said. "You have to be able to do everything, and there is very little room to hide a weakness. It taught me to value players who can adjust, compete through bad situations and understand the game beyond just their position. That has carried over heavily into how I coach the indoor game."

That philosophy has shaped Yoder's approach throughout his coaching career, with an emphasis on technical development, competitiveness, decision-making and helping athletes understand the game rather than simply follow a system.

"I want players who can recognize what is happening in front of them, adjust on their own and compete comfortably in uncomfortable situations," Yoder said.

Yoder is currently pursuing a degree in criminal justice with a concentration in digital forensics from American Military University. He plans to continue his education at the University of Central Florida, where he intends to pursue a master's degree in digital forensics. A native of Central Florida, Yoder attended Tavares High School, where he played two years of basketball.