Women's Volleyball | 12/2/2020 2:02:00 PM

    WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Liberty University volleyball coach Riley Schenk hit the ground running on the recruiting trail, adding an impressive quartet of high school seniors to the Hilltopper mix during the NCAA early-signing period.
    The latest additions are Riley Cudnik, a 6-1 middle blocker from Canal Fulton (Ohio) Northwest, Leah Driscoll, a 5-11 outside hitter from Hopewell Senior High School in Aliquippa, Pa., Lauren Siegfried, a 5-9 setter/right-side hitter from Louisville (Ohio) High School and Haley Zeck, a 5-8 setter from Oswego (Ill.) High School.
    A graduate assistant coach with the Black and Gold for the past two seasons, Schenk took the head coaching reins in September after veteran head coach Kayla Mull stepped down to spend more time with her family. According to Schenk, that continuity played a major role in her recruiting success, especially with the challenges and concerns presented by the growing pandemic.
    "Thanks to those already established relationships, we were fortunate enough to get some of this class committed before the pandemic escalated," Schenk said. "I also want to commend the University for doing such a good job with its COVID-19 response, which allowed us to still conduct campus visits safely.
    "We do an extensive vetting process in our recruiting to ensure it's the right fit for both parties so it's important for our recruits to be able to meet the team as well as the coaches. Our players are our best recruiters anyway. They're so welcoming with the recruits, making them feel at home like they're already members of the team."
    Along with being good fits in the locker room and the classroom – all four newcomers received multiple scholar-athlete awards – Schenk says this group has the size, skills and athleticism to contribute in numerous areas.
    "We have a really good mix in this group," Schenk said. "They bring a really diverse skill set along with the intelligence and versatility to add quality depth and compete for playing time at several spots. They're a very hard-working group on and off the court so they'll fit right in."
    Following are brief summaries along with comments from Coach Schenk on each of the Hilltoppers' four early signees.
    RILEY CUDNIK is a 6-1 middle blocker who earned All-Conference, All-County and All-District honors in volleyball and basketball at Canal Fulton Northwest. A four-year regular and two-time Offensive Player of the Year for the Indians' volleyball team, she served as captain of both squads and carries a 4.0 GPA. Riley plans to major in Biology or Exercise Physiology.
    "Riley is a very bright student-athlete who is just as dedicated on the court as she is in the classroom," Schenk said. "She's a very athletic player and I'm really looking forward to helping her grow over the course of her career."
    LEAH DRISCOLL is a 5-11 outside hitter who earned All-Pennsylvania Class 2A honors as a junior and was a two-time All-WPIAL honoree at Hopewell High School. A 3-year starter who led the Vikings in kills her last two years, Leah was a WPIAL Player of the Week selection as a senior. A four-time Scholar Athlete with a 3.69 GPA, she is undecided on her college major.
    "Leah is a strong offensive weapon who has the ability to take her defensive game to the next level," Schenk said. "She has an incredibly high ceiling as a volleyball player and I'm excited to help her reach that potential."
    LAUREN SIEGFRIED is a 5-9 setter and outside hitter who earned first-team All-District and All-Stark County honors as a senior at Louisville High School. A 3-year starter, Lauren led the Leopard in assists and service aces her last two years and blew past the 1,000-assist career milestone as a senior. A Dean's List student with a 3.7 GPA, she plans to study Occupational Therapy on the hilltop.
    "Lauren is an extremely versatile player and I'm thrilled to add her to our roster," Schenk said. "She excels in all aspects of the game on the court which makes her a very dynamic addition."
    HALEY ZECK is a 5-8 setter who was a four-year starter and three-year captain at Oswego High School in the western suburbs of Chicago. She earned AAU All-Star honors and helped lead her club team to an Under-15 AAU national championship at the 2018 Junior Nationals. A recipient of Oswego's Presidential Academic Excellence Award with a 3.8 GPA, Haley will major in Speech Pathology with a minor in Special Education.
    "Haley is a very talented setter that I'm really looking forward to getting to coach," Schenk said. "She makes very smart decisions and is strong defensively. It will be exciting to have her energy in the gym!"