Women's Tennis | November 12

DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's tennis team announced the signing of three players today to join the program in 2026-27 in Layla Notta, Iben Storkaas and Natalia Varela Herrera.

"We've had some excellent recruiting classes the past few years, but I'm really excited about this class," said head coach Eric Burns. "This class has the potential to be a special one. We are losing three top seniors who have meant a lot to our program and have helped lead us to a lot of success, but I have faith and belief that this group can help continue to build on our previous success. All three are very talented student-athletes who can contribute immediately and can help us compete for championships in the Horizon League. They have each excelled and have gained valuable experience by playing big tournament schedules in ITF junior events."

Layla Notta – ITF World Junior Ranking high: 732; UTR rating high: 8.97

Notta, from Thornhill, Ontario, has ranked as high as fifth in juniors in Ontario and 15th in Canada. In March, Notta won the ITF Puerto Rico Bowl U18 in singles while finishing as a doubles finalist in the Junior ITF Frederiction this past May. Additionally, Notta has been a quarterfinalist in singles at Canadian Nationals and was a runner-up in doubles at the Canadian National Selections.

"Layla is a player who is really on the rise at the moment and has had some huge wins recently," said Burns. "I like her upside and her ability to raise her level against better players. You can see she has the ability to play at a very high level with some of her ITF results. She brings an attacking game style and being from Canada, her game is well suited for indoor tennis."

Iben Storkaas – ITF World Junior Ranking high: 1,096; UTR rating high: 8.49

Storkaas is currently the No. 4 ranked player in Norway in her age group and represented Norway in the European Team Championships. Storkaas was a singles finalist at the Norwegian Women's Indoor Championship and at ITF J30 Uppsala this September. In doubles, Storkaas was a finalist at J30 Gothenburg (Oct. 2025), J30 Copenhagen (Aug. 2025) and J60 Oslo (Feb. 2025).

"Iben is someone we have been talking with for a while and I'm excited that she decided to join our team," said Burns. "She has a lot of ITF match experience and a big game with lots of weapons, which is ideal for indoor play. While she has had some good results in singles, her doubles results have been excellent and very consistent. At 5-11 her length should help us on the doubles court. I believe her game has huge potential."

Natalia Varela Herrera – ITF World Junior Ranking high: 469; UTR rating high: 8.55

Varela Herrera comes to DeKalb from Guadalajara, Mexico and has ranked as high as 469 in the ITF Junior Ranking. In singles, Varela Herrera finished as a finalist in both the ITF J60 Guadalajara (Nov. 2024) and ITF J60 Puebla (March 2025). In doubles, Varela Herrera won the championship at J60 Queretaro Junior Cup this past February. 

"I am excited that Natalia chose to continue her tennis career at NIU. I believe she will bring many positives to our team including her strong work ethic and desire to improve," said Burns. "On the court, her game has great variety, which is important to have at this level. She's also an accomplished doubles player with several ITF wins. I feel with more time and experience, she can be an excellent college player and will be an asset to our program."

Notta intends on majoring in business while Varela Herrera will be majoring in industrial engineering. Storkaas is currently undecided.

NIU's fall season is complete and the Huskies will next take the court at the Northwestern Invitational from Jan. 9 – 11.

Why NIU

Notta: "I chose Northern Illinois University because their Division I tennis program will challenge me to keep improving and reach my full potential. The amazing facilities and supportive team atmosphere make it the perfect place for me to grow as both an athlete and a student."

Storkaas: "The team seems super-friendly and they had an amazing season last year. I can't wait to join the winning culture and be a Huskie!"

Varela Herrera: "I chose NIU because it's the best fit for me. It offers a great industrial engineering program and a strong tennis team with amazing players and coaches who truly support each other. It's an amazing opportunity for me to grow as a student-athlete and I'm very excited to become a Huskie!"