Women's Volleyball | November 11

DeKALB, Ill.—Northern Illinois University volleyball head coach Sondra D'Amore has announced the signings of Marley VanWanzeele and Emma Tenhagen to the Huskies volleyball program.
 
"We're really excited to welcome Marley and Emma to our Huskie family!," noted D'Amore. "Every year, we've had freshmen step onto the floor and make an impact, and our goal is to continue bringing in athletes who will challenge our team, raise our level of play, and help our program grow. We believe both Marley and Emma have the ability to do just that, and we're excited about the future of our program with them in it!"
 
VanWanzeele is set to join the Huskies from Plainfield High School (Indiana), where she competed for Mooresville and Plainfield. VanWanzeele posted an overall record of 84-44, including a 14-0 conference record at Plainfield, and helped lead her team to two conference championships, a 2025-26 state runner-up finish, and sectional, regional, and semi-state titles. She totaled 338 blocks, 970 kills, 88 aces, and 167 digs. A four-time All-Conference selection, four-year varsity letterwinner, and two-year team captain, her honors include Indiana Junior All-Star, 2026 Indy Star Preseason Super Team, Preseason Fab 15, AVCA All-American Watch List, IHSVCA All-District, and Indiana Coaches Association Second Team All-State. At the club level, she competed for three years in the USAV Open Division.
 
D'Amore on VanWanzeele: Marley brings great size, athleticism, and range to our program. We're excited about the physicality she will add at the net and the presence she can bring to our middle blocker position. We believe she has tremendous potential and look forward to seeing her continue to develop and make an impact in our gym!
 
Tenhagen, who joins the Huskies from Burlington High School (Wisconsin), posted a 93-49 overall record, including a 23-1 conference record, three conference championships, a sectional championship, and three regional championships. She qualified for state as a freshman and recorded 115 blocks, 950 kills, 85 aces, and 409 digs. Her honors include 2023 WVCA All-Tournament Team Division I, Second Team All-Racine County (2023-24), Second Team All-Conference (2024), 2025 First Team All-Racine County, 2025 All-Supernova First Team (Journal Times), 2025 First Team All-Conference, and 2025 WVCA All-State Honorable Mention. She was also named team captain for 2026. At the club level, she recorded 48 blocks, 528 kills, 38 aces, and 241 digs during her 17 Gold Sting season and earned 2026 USAV GJNC All-Tournament Team honors.
 
D'Amore on Tenhagen: "Emma comes from a high-level club and high school program where she has consistently been an impact player for her team. She brings valuable experience and competitiveness to our outside hitter group. We believe adding athletes who can challenge and elevate the players around them is essential to building a successful program, and we expect Emma to come in and do just that!
 
The Huskies will conclude the regular season on Nov. 12-13 as they host Oakland and Cleveland State inside Victor E. Court. First serve is set for 6 p.m. on Nov. 12 against Oakland.  
 
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