Women's Volleyball | February 16
DeKALB, Ill. – Head Coach Sondra Parys of the Northern Illinois University volleyball team announced the hiring of Assistant Coach Mackenzie Rombach to the Huskie volleyball staff Thursday (Feb. 16).
"It was very clear from the start that Mackenzie was the perfect fit, not just for me, but for our program," said Parys. "Mackenzie brings terrific experience from Jacksonville State where she saw a lot of success, both as a player and a coach. Her work ethic will benefit us on the recruiting trail while her vision for championships and student-athlete development is what made her the ideal candidate. Everyone I spoke with raved about Mackenzie being a true competitor, an extremely hard worker, and just a great human. I am excited to welcome Mackenzie back home to Illinois as a part of our Huskie Family!"
Rombach joins NIU after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Jacksonville State University in Alabama, coaching both the indoor and beach volleyball teams. While serving the Gamecocks, Rombach helped mentor seven All-Atlantic Sun Conference selections and one College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American. Rombach helped the Jacksonville State indoor team reach the ASUN postseason tournament in each of her two seasons.
"I am extremely excited and thankful to join the Huskie volleyball program," said Rombach. "I want to thank Sondra for the opportunity to join her staff and program as she leads NIU volleyball forward. I also want to thank my coaching mentors who have helped me along the path. I am extremely grateful to be a part of the Huskie family, and I can't wait to get started working with the team!"
Familiar with recruiting the State of Illinois and surrounding area, Rombach was a graduate assistant at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville during the 2020 campaign. The Cougars owned a .714-win percentage and qualified for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
Before her stint at SIUE, Rombach played professional volleyball overseas for Prowin Volleys in Saarbrücken, Germany. Competing in second division Bundesliga, Rombach started as a four-rotation middle blocker for one season.
In addition to coaching at Jacksonville State, Rombach was a student-athlete from 2015-2018, playing both indoor and beach volleyball for the Gamecocks.
Indoors, Rombach led the nation in blocks for most of her sophomore year before finishing sixth overall with a school-record 175 blocks. Her name is inked in JSU's record book as second on the career blocks list with 473. Rombach put a bow on her collegiate career by surpassing 1,000 career kills during her final OVC Tournament.
The Ottawa, Ill. native holds a bachelor's degree in pre-medical studies from Jacksonville State and a master's degree in kinesiology with a concentration in sport and exercise psychology from SIUE.
