MISHAWAKA ― For Steve Anderson, one more chance to coach in "The Cave" at Mishawaka High School is almost enough to render the legendary coach who loves to talk almost speechless.
Key word "almost."
Anderson, the former Hall of Fame Mishawaka volleyball coaching icon, will be on the sidelines again come Saturday night, Dec. 6, in the historic gym.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnderson, the man who turned the MHS volleyball program into the statewide power in the northern part of the state, will coach Team Indiana in the inaugural High Flyer Showcase. The event pits Team Indiana versus Team Michigan, with each squad boasting 12 senior prep standouts.
The match, being put on by Michiana Volleyball, begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Cave. Doors at MHS will open at 5:30 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit michianavolleyball.com.
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnderson, who won 913 matches in 34 seasons at MHS, is looking forward to trying to win one more time in the place he called home for countless hours.
"I'm thrilled to get another chance to coach in the Cave," said Anderson in a phone interview earlier this week. "When they asked me to coach the Indiana team, I thought what an opportunity this is. I spent more than half my adult life in there coaching.
"I'm comfortable there and I'm used to that environment. And when I walk into that gym and see all of the banners that I was a part of, I think about everyone and everything that it took to get all of them. Those are some great memories for me."
Anderson posted a 913-262 mark in two coaching stints at MHS. He was an incredible 774-139 from 1979-2005, then returned to coach again from 2016-2023. His accomplishments include three state titles, four state runner-up finishes, 16 trips to the state finals and 23 NIC championships. He was the NIC Coach of the Year 10 times, was inducted into the MHS Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Indiana Hall of Fame in 2011.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I always want to win, but this should be a fun event for the players," Anderson said. "All of them have proven that they belong in this showcase. I just want to give everyone an opportunity to play and to enjoy it and also try our best to win the match too."
Steve Anderson coaches volleyball at Mishawaka High School Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, in Mishawaka. Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLINAnderson, now 73, is still involved with the game he's devoted his life to. He still attends some high school matches each season and was in the Cave back in the fall when his beloved Cavemen lost a 3-2 thriller to rival Penn.
He also owns the Outpost Beach Club on Grape Road in Mishawaka, where he runs seasonal sand volleyball leagues for adults and youth from May through September on the eight courts there. Prior to buying it three years ago, Anderson spent the previous 35 years working and managing the Outpost Sports Sand Volleyball Courts.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I'm now the best fan of the game there is," Anderson explained. "The love of the game, and the love for good volleyball no matter who is playing it, is still there for me."
The Team Indiana roster includes Ellie Adams and Cassie Creech of Mishawaka, along with Abby Lane and Lanie Cromartie of Penn. The squad also features Adele Macer of Marian, Ava Polack of Elkhart, Vivian Stephens of John Glenn, Maggie Duszynski of New Prairie, Claire Campanello of Concord and Ellie Hepler and Cecelia Goode of Warsaw.
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The Penn pair of Lane and Cromartie helped the Kingsmen win NIC, along with Class 4A sectional and regional titles this past fall. Macer helped Marian reach the Class 3A semi-state this past season and Hepler and Goode helped Warsaw win the NLC title and a Class 4A sectional crown. Hepler will play at Indiana University and Davis at Loyola University Chicago.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTeam Michigan, which will be coached by Megan Jergens of Three Rivers High School, features the Edwardsburg duo of Sarah Pippin and Mya Eberlein and Niles star Maddie Zache. Also expected to play for Team Michigan are Larkin Baima and Macey Brown of Mattawan, Kathryn Borgan of Berrien Springs, Autumn Gravelyn of Plainwell, Charlotte Knox of South Haven, Lucy Mercer of Otsego, Riley Messenger of Portage Northern, Miley Southland of Three Rivers and Breslyn Zache of Paw Paw.
Mishawaka's Ellie Adams celebrates after scoring a point during an IHSAA girls volleyball match between Mishawaka and Penn at Mishawaka High School on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Mishawaka.The Edwardsburg tandem of Pippin and Eberlein led the Eddies to a 30-10 mark this past season that ended with a loss to Niles in the District title match. Pippin will play at Valparaiso University and Eberlein at Eastern Michigan.
Anderson explained that his team is scheduled to get together on Saturday prior to the match for a team photo, a short practice session and dinner.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I'm familiar with about half of the girls on my team from seeing them play this past season and in club," Anderson said. "We will have a practice Saturday, and then I'll have a couple of hours to figure out what my best lineup is and put the pieces we have together to figure out the puzzle."
Anderson did note that his 1983 state title, the second of his career, still stands out. That team, led by Sharon Versyp, beat Muncie Burris 15-9, 11-15, 16-14 in the state title tilt. Burris was 44-0 prior to the match, ranked No. 2 nationally and was the defending state champion. Mishawaka finished 30-3.
"I remember that Burris already had a cake with state champions on it ready to celebrate and we beat them and they had to scrape the champions off the cake," recounted Anderson with a chuckle.
Versyp was Miss Basketball in Indiana and went on to a standout college career at Purdue. She later coached the women's basketball team at Purdue and is currently the coach at the University of South Carolina Beaufort. The Burris coach was Steve Shondell, who won 21 state titles at Burris. Steve's brother Dave won four state titles at Muncie Central and is the coach at Purdue.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnderson and his brother Dan, who was a highly successful coach at Mishawaka Marian, are the names, along with the Shondell brothers, who are known for prep volleyball in the Hoosier state.
"It's an honor to have my name even mentioned with the Shondells," said Anderson. "Those are great memories coaching against both Steve and Dave. I still watch Dave's teams at Purdue and stay in contact with him.
"Those relationships are the things that last. And those, like relationships with former players that I still have are the best thing about the game. Those last and those bonds never break."
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Indiana, Michigan to battle in volleyball High Flyer Showcase
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