TRAVERSE CITY — Quinn Yenshaw wasn’t worried about miles.
After all, she’s already logged thousands throughout her high school and travel volleyball career.
The Traverse City St. Francis senior-to-be committed to the University of New Haven for college volleyball.
“I’ve always been open to going a distance away to have new experiences,” Yenshaw said.
She also liked the location between New York City and Boston, something she said can open doors for career opportunities after completing her degree with a major in business and marketing.
She can also sometimes find direct flights home from that area.
“I’ve been working hard,” Yenshaw said. “This has been a goal of mine, so it’s good to have achieved that.”
Yenshaw said having recruiting off her plate will help her play more loose this season.
The Chargers have a diverse roster, with three players from Brazil and one each from Spain and Australia.
Yenshaw will join junior opposite hitter Lauren MacKellar as the only players from Michigan on the team. MacKeller played at Northville.
The Chargers graduate four players this season and two the next. New Haven posted a 19-11 record in 2024, including 8-2 in the Northeast-10 Conference, falling in the semifinals of the league tourney and in the opening round of regionals.
New Haven just hired Andre Foster as head coach in February after stops at Nichols College, Xavier and Purdue University Fort Wayne.
“He always had confidence in me,” Yenshaw said. “It’s always great to have someone who really thinks you have what it takes.”
Yenshaw said Foster and the New Haven coaching staff liked her versatility to play full rotation and aggressiveness with her shots. She visited campus in late May.
“It’s walkable, but not super small,” Yenshaw said. “I thought it was a very pretty layout.”
The Gladiators are coming off back-to-back trips to the Division 3 state championship match, but are still looking for a coach after Kathleen Nance stepped down following the season when her daughter Avery graduated.
The Glads lost libero Avery Nance, defensive specialist Grace Mason, setter Tessah Konas and outside hitter Landry Fouch, but have a good core coming back in Yenshaw, middle blocker Lola Brown, setters Reese Jones, Harper Nausadis and Reese Muma, outside hitter Aubrey Lesinski and defensive specialist Coco Miller.
“We’ll still have a lot of potential,” Yenshaw said. “We have some great players coming in. I think we can keep a great program going.”