Exeter trio will stay together at Juniata College
Exeter seniors Luke Hoffman, Tyler Goldsborough and Reese Ganter shared information about their college visits.
Three of the top players on the Exeter volleyball team were deciding where to continue playing the sport they love in addition to getting a good education.
They were surprised when all they reached the same decision, Juniata College. The trio plans to begin classes there in the fall and continue to be teammates for the Eagles on the volleyball court in the winter. Juniata competes in NCAA Division III in the Continental Volleyball Conference.
“We all just wanted to go somewhere where we could get a great education and play at the next level, and it just happened to be the same school,” Hoffman said. “Everything felt right as soon as I stepped on campus and I knew I wanted to spend the next four years there.”
Hoffman, a 6-4 middle hitter, plans to major in psychology. Goldsborough and Ganter will major in marketing management.
All three were All-Berks selections last year.
The three were expected to be the foundation of a solid Exeter volleyball team this spring before the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Exeter, which had won back-toback Berks County titles, was expected to contend for District 3 and PIAA championships in Class 3A.
“I feel it will help us even more as we can bring in chemistry to an already incredible team,” said Goldsborough, a 6-4 outside/opposite hitter. “I never thought it would be this important as it is now because we never got to play out our senior year together.”
In addition to their pursuit of championships, the loss of the their senior years also left a few individual goals unreached. Hoffman had 817 kills and was on pace to reach 1,000 by the midpoint of the season. Ganter, a 6-0 setter, has a school-record 2,942 assists and was closing in on the county record of 3,414.
But the three teammates and close friends hope spending the next four years together will help ease the heartbreak of the lost opportunities during their senior years.
“I personally never thought it would be possible, but now that it’s happening, I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Ganter said. “Being able to play with Luke and Tyler for another four years is incredible. I can’t wait to watch us grow up together at Juniata.”
The growing process also is likely to include plenty of reminiscing about their careers at Exeter, some of which weren’t measurable by statistics, wins or championships.
“Some of my best memories came off the court with this team,” Goldsborough said. “All of our bus rides or hotel stays were some of the most fun things that I have ever been a part of.
“But the best memory is winning back-to-back county final matches against Mifflin in a fiveset match my sophomore year and beating Wilson in three sets my junior year.”
And some of those talks about their high school days no doubt will include what could have been during the lost year.
“Above all you just want to have fun with your friends,” Hoffman said. “I don’t really care about how far we could have gone, I just wanted another season with such great people.”