NOTE: This is the sixth of nine profiles (two team, seven individual) of the upcoming inductees to the North Central College Athletic Hall of Fame Oct. 4.
Oct. 1, 2025 - Denise Kunert '93 Jacobsen began her collegiate volleyball career at the NCAA Division I level but quickly realized she needed more than just volleyball. After one season at the University of Maryland, she transferred to North Central College, where she became a cornerstone of the Cardinal volleyball program. Her time at North Central was marked by both individual and team success, all while she balanced an impressive dual-sport role.
Following a one-year stint on the Maryland women’s volleyball team, Kunert Jacobsen decided to transfer to North Central, where she rediscovered her passion for the sport. She had immediate success as a freshman on the Cardinal squad, tallying 195 blocks in 1989—the second most in program history at the time.
"As the season went on [at Maryland], volleyball became more of a job, Kunert Jacobsen said. "I came into an atmosphere at North Central where it wasn’t a job, volleyball was fun again. That and the atmosphere of Marcy Thurwatcher HOF'13, practices, and my teammates—I think that all tied together to having success."
After a successful sophomore season, Kunert Jacobsen was named a first-team All-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) selection. The following year, she became the first Cardinal in program history to earn an NCAA All-Region honor, while adding another first-team All-CCIW selection in 1991.
"It was awesome to be recognized, but none of it ever happens on your own," she said. "I had great teammates. As an athlete, you can’t take full credit. We had an amazing team."
"We had enough confidence as a group that nobody could touch us."
Additionally, Kunert Jacobsen played women's basketball for North Central, leading the Cardinals in both scoring (16.8 points per game) and rebounding (10.0 rebounds per game) during the 1991–92 season. She earned third-team All-CCIW honors for her performances.
The North Central College Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. inside Wentz Concert Hall during Homecoming Weekend. The induction ceremony will be live streamed HERE.