North Bay, ON – Nipissing Lakers Women's Volleyball is proud and excited to announce the signing of 2026 recruit, Emery Stapleton! 

Stapleton, hailing from Kingsville, Ontario, is ready to make her jump to the OUA following a successful junior career with the South County Bandits, Leamington District Secondary School and Team Ontario. 

"I am a loud presence on the court, but I think my ability to put up a big block against big hitters is my greatest strength," Stapleton said when asked what she brings to the Lakers. 

When asked why she chose Nipissing, Stapleton said "the team and coaching staff have created such a great family environment which was incredibly appealing. Additionally, Nipissing's small class sizes align and support my academic goals." 

Emery will be enrolling in Nipissing's Bachelor of Science, Biology program. 

"We are very excited to welcome Emery to our Lakers family," said Nipissing Head Coach Marc LaRochelle about Stapelton's signing. "Emery is a perfect fit for our program. She will contribute positively to our strong team culture, and her strong work ethic will propel her to reaching her goals.  Emery is extremely coachable, and we look forward to working with her on a daily basis in the near future. 

Emery was named to the 2025 Windsor-Essex County First All-Star team this year. Stapleton was also named 2025 Leamington District Secondary School athlete of the year. 

Emery was a silver medalist with Team Ontario at the 2025 Canada Cup, as well as a Division 1 Tier 1 silver medalist with the South County Bandits at 2024 OVA Championships.  

"I want to improve my skillset and help Nipissing become a championship team in Ontario." 

#GoLakers