Greenville, SC – The NCCAA is pleased to recognize Marley Aune of the University of Northwestern (UNW) as the winner of the Susan R. Hellings Award for Division I Women’s Volleyball. 
 
A defensive stalwart for the Eagles, Aune has rewritten the record books at UNW, as she ranks second in program history with 542 total blocks, which leads all of NCAA Division III women’s volleyball for active players. The senior out of New Brighton, Minnesota currently has 148 total blocks this season, with 68 solo blocks and 80 block assists for an average of 1.33 blocks per set, the second-highest mark in the NCCAA. Aune has also excelled on the offensive side for the Eagles, recording 293 kills and hitting .279 while guiding UNW to their 15^th straight Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season championship. 
 
Aune has filled her trophy case with several accolades and awards in her career at Northwestern, earning UMAC Rookie of the Year in 2022, AVCA Third-Team All-American in 2023 and 2025, and is the 2025 UMAC Player of the Year. She is a three-time All-Conference selection, two-time NCCAA All-Regional winner, five-time NCCAA Student-Athlete of the Week, and eight-time UMAC Athlete of the Week.
 
Off the court, Aune holds a 3.82 GPA while studying kinesiology pre-therapy, earning a spot on the Dean’s List five times while also being a three-time UMAC Academic All-Conference winner, a two-time NCCAA Scholar-Athlete recipient, and a 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree.  Aune has served her community well, as she has spent time working with local elementary schools in her time in St. Paul and spent the spring of 2025 as a volunteer rehabilitation technician at Twin Cities Orthopedics. Aune serves in the children’s ministry at her church and leads a small group for her Northwestern volleyball teammates. She also was part of a UNW mission trip to the Dominican Republic where she helped lead volleyball clinics, deliver food, and spent time at a pair of orphanages and a women’s center in the country. 
 
Northwestern Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Beth Wilmuth said, “You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who better exemplifies the Game Plan 4 LIFE pillars than Marley Aune. From leading her team from a place of love, to playing the game with integrity by making honor calls when the officials miss a tipped ball at the net, to leading teammates and children in studying the word of God, to consistently being one of the best middle blockers in the country, Marley checks all the boxes. But to her, it's not about checking boxes, it's about growing closer to her Savior and bringing others closer to Him.”
 
Other Nominees
Breyana Bosket – Bethel University
Morgan Burnett – Roberts Wesleyan University
Taylor Cavazos – Nelson University
Riley McChord – Asbury University
 
 
Award Description
Susan R. Hellings played volleyball in the mid 1970’s at Houghton College. She was a starting hitter for her championship team. Susan exemplified Christian leadership on the court, not allowing anything to stand in the way of team unity. She was an excellent student as demonstrated by being her high school valedictorian and graduating Summa Cum Laude from college with a B.A. in mathematics. Susan was the type of student-athlete who exemplified all the characteristics that this award is intended to honor.