Emma Nolley fervently pursued an opportunity to play collegiate volleyball. She just did not expect an offer to come from Denton, Texas.

Shelbyville High School’s senior defensive specialist realized her dream Monday night after signing her National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Texas Woman’s University, located north of Dallas.

“One thing I preach to all the student athletes that I’ve coached is playing collegiate sports is not about the sport, it’s about the opportunity,” said Shelbyville volleyball coach Andrew Fuller, who was in attendance Monday for the signing ceremony. “You have to make sure the opportunity makes the most sense.”

Nolley has spent the better part of two years in the recruiting process. A message from Texas turned out to be quite intriguing.

Following  a strong club volleyball performance at an Atlanta tournament, Nolley was contacted by Jeff Huebner, the head coach at Texas Woman’s University.

“He thought I would be a good asset to the team,” she said Monday night at the Golden Bear Room at Shelbyville High School. “So we set up a phone call and talked and he got me on campus and I loved the campus. I met all the coaching staff and loved everything about it.”

With approximately 15,000 students, Texas Woman’s University is the largest university primarily for women in the country.

Nolley visited the campus in June and became convinced she found the next home for her educational and athletic experience.

“All the coaching staff and team were so nice and welcoming and that made me feel like I was at home,” she said. “I Ioved the campus and the academics are really good and it’s a good volleyball program.”

The Pioneers are a Division II program that competes in Kitty Winter Magee Arena at Pioneer Hall, which also houses the Department of Kinesiology, Nolley’s intended major.

“I always wanted to go into the medical field but I didn’t want to go to medical school,” she said. “I like the idea of being a physical therapist or something of that sort.”

The Pioneers finished the 2021 season with a 10-18 record and three seniors on track to graduate. Fuller does not believe the coaching staff would have pursued Nolley without the intention of utilizing her defensive skills immediately.

“Emma has always impacted teams and programs she has been around, always for the positive,” he said. “I think TWU got a steal, not only in a great player but in a great person.”

Over four years at Shelbyville, Nolley amassed 155 career service aces and 1,307 career digs. She finished with a career single-season high of 58 aces this past season for a Golden Bears squad that went 16-14.

“I think it was my best season so far,” said Nolley. “I know we were shooting for a sectional title and that didn’t happen which was disappointing but overall we had a really good season.”

One thing Fuller is sure of, Nolley will fight hard for a starting spot in 2022.

“I think the type of opportunity she was offered and the excitement that the program has developed around Emma, they obviously have a pretty impactful role for her right out of the gate,” he said. “If it is a position battle, I would hate to be the person that’s had the position because she accepts challenges and embraces challenges.”

“I have a shot to be the starting libero but I won’t actually know until I get there, but I will definitely be playing,” said Nolley.

Texas Woman’s University is a member of the Lone Star Conference, which consists of 18 schools located in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arkansas.