(Thursday, November 17, 2022; Sioux Center, Iowa) Cade Schmidt, a senior at Desert Christian High School (California), has announced his intention to attend Dordt University and join the Defender volleyball program.  

"Cade is a powerful and explosive athlete who plays big above the net.  His complete six-rotation game as an outside hitter will bring an immediate impact to our program and we are excited that he has decided to join us.  We are grateful for the work that his coaches have invested into his development including his dad Travis and club coaches Sina Aghassy and CJ Suarez.  Cade will be a wonderful fit for our Christian community as he seeks to continue to grow in the Lord and live The Defender Way," said Dordt head coach Chad Hanson. 

Schmidt is a 6-3 outside hitter and has also played for the SoCal Legends Club. He was the Heritage League MVP in 2022 and he also established school records for aces in a match and digs in a match. Schmidt has been named the Desert Christian High School MVP in both 2020 and 2022. 

"I chose Dordt because of the people. The Christian atmosphere is clearly part of the culture and not fake. I felt included, wanted and needed. I believe I can make a difference on the volleyball team and get to play with a great coach and an amazing group of players. Dordt also has an awesome hands-on criminal justice program led by an amazing professor," said Schmidt. 

Cade is the son of Travis and Stacy Schmidt of Palmdale, California. He plans to study Criminal Justice at Dordt.  

Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive Christian college rooted in the Reformed tradition. The Defender athletic program is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA).

?U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review all list Dordt  on their best colleges lists. Dordt is home to approximately 1,500 students.