Mansfield Adds Three During Fall Signing Period
Nov 09, 2023 | Volleyball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State head volleyball coach Jason Mansfield announced the additions of Tatum Tindall, Emerson Van Lannen and Alyss Kelly, during the fall signing period.
Tindall is a 6-foot-1 middle blocker and opposite hitter out of Manhattan High School in Manhattan, Kan., while Van Lannen is 5-foot-11 setter from Appleton North High School in Appleton, Wis. A 5-foot-4 libero, Kelly hails from Lake Stevens, Wash., and attended Lake Stevens High School.
Tatum Tindall, a three-year letterwinner at Manhattan under head coach Nicole Jones, will be the 11th player in school history to join the Wildcat volleyball squad from the Little Apple. She tallied 523 kills, 178 blocks, 68 aces, and 43 digs during her career.
Tindall was named to the All-Flint Hills Volleyball Team and Second Team All-Conference following her junior campaign, while she earned offensive MVP honors in two consecutive seasons, leading the team in blocks and aces.
She is the daughter of Mark and Jennifer Tindall and sibling of Talia and Taizley. Tindall plans to major in sports media and communications during her time at K-State.
"Tatum is the definition of the type of character we want in this program. She's humble, hardworking, kind, and selfless," said Mansfield. "Her ability to connect with her teammates and make them better is infectious. Her growth as a player in the last year has made her a weapon in both the opposite and middle blocker positions. We love that we have a Manhattan player on our team now and we are so excited to welcome her to the Wildcat family!"
"I want to thank my family, friends and all the coaches who have helped push and inspire me, and for the endless support they have given me throughout my volleyball career," Tindall said. "A huge thank you to Coach Mansfield and the K-State Coaching Staff for believing in me and the things I can accomplish. Growing up in Manhattan, it has always been a dream of mine to be a Wildcat and they have truly all helped make this dream possible. I could never thank them enough. Go Cats!"
An AVCA First Team High School All-American, Emerson Van Lannen competed under head coach Steve Scheuerell at Appleton North where the three-time all-conference selection boasted over 1,500 career assists.
In her senior season, Van Lannen unanimously received First Team All-Conference recognition as she helped guide her team to a conference title. During the state tournament, Van Lannen orchestrated Appleton North's offense that ran with an efficiency of .298 with 25 assists and eight digs to advance to the WIAA Division I State Semifinals.
The daughter of Jeff and Jesie, Van Lannen has four siblings: Carsten, Bella, Harper, and Finley. Her cousin Liz Gregorski currently plays for the Wildcats volleyball program.
"Emerson comes from a volleyball family where she grew up around the game and started playing at a very young age. Her character, volleyball IQ and leadership are all exceptional, they are exactly what you want in a setter," mentioned Mansfield. "She will always hold a special place in our hearts as she was our first ever commit as a new staff, we are so excited to welcome Emerson to the Wildcat family!"
"First of all, I want to thank my friends and family that supported me throughout my entire career," Van Lannen said. I also want to thank the amazing coaching staff at Kansas State for this unbelievable opportunity. Go Cats!"
Alyss Kelly was ranked the No. 1 Libero in the state of Washington and the No. 5 player overall by Prepdig.com as well as named to the AVCA Phenom Watch List.
Kelly, a two-time First Team All-WESCO honoree, played under head coach Kyle Hoglund at Lake Stevens. She was named to the JVA Watch List on three occasions while she also received the Candis Carter Award twice, which recognizes the top defensive player.
Kelly is the daughter of Danielle and Gyme and has two siblings.
"Alyss is fearless on defense, fiercely competitive and extremely skilled, exactly what you need in a libero. She makes the "wow play" multiple times a game every time I see her play," said Mansfield. "Her love and passion for the game of volleyball is what we want in this program, we are so excited for her to join the Wildcat family!"
"Firstly, I want to thank my amazing family for being by my side throughout my volleyball recruiting journey, but as well as the coaches that got me to the level that I am at today," Kelly said. "I also want to thank the coaching staff at Kansas State for believing in my capabilities. I'm so excited to be a Wildcat!"
K-State (14-10, 8-7 Big 12) is coming off a historic upset as the Cats topped No. 3 Texas to snap a 39-match losing streak. The victory set a new program record of five Top 25 wins in a single season, breaking the previous of 4 set in 1999, then again in 2000.
The Wildcats will return to Morgan Family Arena to close out the 2023 home schedule with a two-set series against Texas Tech starting Friday, November 17. Both contests will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
2022 K-State Volleyball Signing Class
Tindall is a 6-foot-1 middle blocker and opposite hitter out of Manhattan High School in Manhattan, Kan., while Van Lannen is 5-foot-11 setter from Appleton North High School in Appleton, Wis. A 5-foot-4 libero, Kelly hails from Lake Stevens, Wash., and attended Lake Stevens High School.
Tatum Tindall, a three-year letterwinner at Manhattan under head coach Nicole Jones, will be the 11th player in school history to join the Wildcat volleyball squad from the Little Apple. She tallied 523 kills, 178 blocks, 68 aces, and 43 digs during her career.
Tindall was named to the All-Flint Hills Volleyball Team and Second Team All-Conference following her junior campaign, while she earned offensive MVP honors in two consecutive seasons, leading the team in blocks and aces.
She is the daughter of Mark and Jennifer Tindall and sibling of Talia and Taizley. Tindall plans to major in sports media and communications during her time at K-State.
Welcome to the family, @tatumtindall30 #KStateVB x #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/XEPsG8QNAs
— K-State Volleyball (@KStateVB) November 9, 2023
"Tatum is the definition of the type of character we want in this program. She's humble, hardworking, kind, and selfless," said Mansfield. "Her ability to connect with her teammates and make them better is infectious. Her growth as a player in the last year has made her a weapon in both the opposite and middle blocker positions. We love that we have a Manhattan player on our team now and we are so excited to welcome her to the Wildcat family!"
"I want to thank my family, friends and all the coaches who have helped push and inspire me, and for the endless support they have given me throughout my volleyball career," Tindall said. "A huge thank you to Coach Mansfield and the K-State Coaching Staff for believing in me and the things I can accomplish. Growing up in Manhattan, it has always been a dream of mine to be a Wildcat and they have truly all helped make this dream possible. I could never thank them enough. Go Cats!"
An AVCA First Team High School All-American, Emerson Van Lannen competed under head coach Steve Scheuerell at Appleton North where the three-time all-conference selection boasted over 1,500 career assists.
In her senior season, Van Lannen unanimously received First Team All-Conference recognition as she helped guide her team to a conference title. During the state tournament, Van Lannen orchestrated Appleton North's offense that ran with an efficiency of .298 with 25 assists and eight digs to advance to the WIAA Division I State Semifinals.
The daughter of Jeff and Jesie, Van Lannen has four siblings: Carsten, Bella, Harper, and Finley. Her cousin Liz Gregorski currently plays for the Wildcats volleyball program.
Welcome to the family, @emersonvl33 #KStateVB x #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/hLFzpigmvx
— K-State Volleyball (@KStateVB) November 9, 2023
"Emerson comes from a volleyball family where she grew up around the game and started playing at a very young age. Her character, volleyball IQ and leadership are all exceptional, they are exactly what you want in a setter," mentioned Mansfield. "She will always hold a special place in our hearts as she was our first ever commit as a new staff, we are so excited to welcome Emerson to the Wildcat family!"
"First of all, I want to thank my friends and family that supported me throughout my entire career," Van Lannen said. I also want to thank the amazing coaching staff at Kansas State for this unbelievable opportunity. Go Cats!"
Alyss Kelly was ranked the No. 1 Libero in the state of Washington and the No. 5 player overall by Prepdig.com as well as named to the AVCA Phenom Watch List.
Kelly, a two-time First Team All-WESCO honoree, played under head coach Kyle Hoglund at Lake Stevens. She was named to the JVA Watch List on three occasions while she also received the Candis Carter Award twice, which recognizes the top defensive player.
Kelly is the daughter of Danielle and Gyme and has two siblings.
Welcome to the family#KStateVB x #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/3tKut5fQlB
— K-State Volleyball (@KStateVB) November 9, 2023
"Alyss is fearless on defense, fiercely competitive and extremely skilled, exactly what you need in a libero. She makes the "wow play" multiple times a game every time I see her play," said Mansfield. "Her love and passion for the game of volleyball is what we want in this program, we are so excited for her to join the Wildcat family!"
"Firstly, I want to thank my amazing family for being by my side throughout my volleyball recruiting journey, but as well as the coaches that got me to the level that I am at today," Kelly said. "I also want to thank the coaching staff at Kansas State for believing in my capabilities. I'm so excited to be a Wildcat!"
K-State (14-10, 8-7 Big 12) is coming off a historic upset as the Cats topped No. 3 Texas to snap a 39-match losing streak. The victory set a new program record of five Top 25 wins in a single season, breaking the previous of 4 set in 1999, then again in 2000.
The Wildcats will return to Morgan Family Arena to close out the 2023 home schedule with a two-set series against Texas Tech starting Friday, November 17. Both contests will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
2022 K-State Volleyball Signing Class
| Name | Pos. | Height | Hometown / High School / Club |
| Alyss Kelly | L/DS | 5-4 | Lake Stevens, Wash. / Lake Stevens HS / Texas Advantage |
| Tatum Tindall | OPP/MB | 6-1 | Manhattan, Kan. / Manhattan HS / KC Power Black |
| Emerson Van Lannen | S | 5-11 | Appleton, Wisc. / Appleton North HS / NPJ Forefront |
Players Mentioned
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