KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan volleyball team and head coach Colleen Munson have announced the signing of three student-athletes to the program's class of 2026. Outside hitter Ella Askin (Louisville, Ky.), setter/defensive specialist Riley Messenger (Portage, Mich.) and middle blocker Bri Zimmerman (Grand Rapids, Mich.) are all slated to suit up for the Brown and Gold beginning with the 2026 season.
 
"We're excited to welcome Ella, Riley and Bri into our Bronco Volleyball family!" coach Munson said. "We look forward to the impact each will make in our campus community as well as their respective positions, having developed their game in elite training programs and competing against the nation's top high school and club teams across the country."
 
Ella Askin • 6-0 • Outside Hitter • Louisville, Ky. • Assumption HS
A native of Louisville, Ky., Askin is headed to Kalamazoo after playing for head coach Ron Kordes and volleyball powerhouse Assumption High School. As a junior, she finished among the team leaders in kills with 236, helping Assumption to a 38-6 record and a state championship. This season, Askin and the Rockets went 40-4 and captured another state title.
 
She plays her club volleyball for KIVA (Kentucky Indian Volleyball Academy), where she helped the team win the Bluegrass Tournament earlier this year. Off the court, she boasts a strong academic record and has been named KHSAA Academic All-State Honorable Mention.
 
Askin comes from an athletically inclined family. Her father, Mark, played offensive line at Kentucky from 1990-94, where he was named to the 1991 SEC All-Freshman Team and was a senior captain for the Wildcats. Her older brother, Austin, played college football as well, suiting up for Eastern Illinois from 2014-18 and earning a First Team All-OVC selection as an offensive lineman in 2017.
 
Riley Messenger • 5-7 • Setter/Defensive Specialist • Portage, Mich. • Portage Northern HS
A local product from Portage, Messenger played for head coach Erin Onken at nearby Portage Northern High School. She helped the Huskies to a lot of success during her time with the program, including three district championships and a pair of regional titles. Among Messenger's accolades are First Team All-Conference and multiple All-Region selections. She played club ball in Kalamazoo for USA Michigan Volleyball Club, where she was a four-time team captain.
 
Academically, Messenger has received Highest Honors all four years at Portage Northern and will be enrolling early at Western Michigan in order to join the program for the spring semester. She won't be the first in her family to suit up for the Brown and Gold, as her grandfather, John, played football at WMU from 1965-67.
 
Bri Zimmerman • 6-1 • Middle Blocker • Grand Rapids, Mich. • Forest Hills Northern HS
Another in-state product, Zimmerman is set to head to WMU after playing for head coach Megan Ayars at Forest Hills Northern High School, the same school which produced current Bronco sophomore Elana Erickson. After earning All-Conference, All-Region and Second Team All-State honors in 2024, Zimmerman helped the Huskies go 45-9-1 this fall and win a district championship while racking up over 300 kills, 60 blocks and hitting well above .300.
 
She plays her club volleyball for Far Out Volleyball Club, where she helped the team to a runner-up finish at the 2025 17 Open AAU Nationals. In addition to volleyball, Zimmerman plays hockey and participated in the Gone Boarding program.
 
Like Askin and Messenger, Zimmerman comes from an athletic family as well. Her father, Shawn, played hockey at WMU from 1993-97 and was the winner of the program's Catherine Lawson Sportsmanship award for the 1996-97 season. Her older brother, Hayden, is a current member of Calvin University's hockey team and was named the team's 2024-25 Rookie of the Year.