Women's Basketball | 11/24/2021 2:21:00 PM

    WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Liberty University head women's basketball coach Kyle Cooper has jump-started his 2021-22 recruiting class with a pair of early-signing gems from the Ohio Division II high school ranks.
    Olivia Baker is a 5-8 wing from Shelby High School who played her AAU ball for Team Huddle while Bailey Beckstedt is a 5-8 point guard from Thornville Sheridan High School and the Ohio Future AAU program. Both are heading into their senior seasons at their respective schools and will be heading to the hilltop in the fall.
    "We're really excited about the start of this recruiting class with the additions of Bailey and Olivia," Cooper said. "Not only are they great fits for our brand of basketball, they fit who we are as a program. Bailey and Olivia are high character, high academic, blue collar young women from great families and great programs with strong winning traditions. They have already jumped into what it means to be a part of the Hilltopper Family with both feet and we cannot wait to get them here."
    Both West Liberty recruits are coming off strong junior seasons that saw them collect multiple post-season accolades while helping lead their teams to conference titles and deep tournament runs.
    A first-team All-MOAC and special mention All-Ohio Division 2, Baker was the Mansfield News Journal Player of the Year after leading Shelby to its third straight MOAC title and a run to the district championship game. She was the third-leading scorer in the MOAC last season and got this season off to a flying start earlier this week with a school-record 8 3-point field goals in a 70-27 rout of Ashland.
    "Olivia is a highly-skilled, versatile wing with good size and unlimited range, giving us yet another weapon at that position moving forward," Cooper said. "She's a pure shooter who stretches the floor in a major way but she also rebounds her position and sees the game really well. We believe that combination will allow Olivia to transition into our system quickly once she gets on campus."
    Beckstedt was a first-team Ohio Division 2 All-District and All-MVL selection who also earned special mention All-Ohio honors as a junior. She teamed with University of Akron signee Faith Stinson to lead Sheridan to a 24-2 record and a berth in the Ohio Division II regional finals. The Generals won their fifth straight MVL conference title – first in the big-school division – and posted an undefeated league record for the first time in nearly two decades.
    "Bailey is a long and athletic point guard with a very high motor with the ability to dictate the game on both sides of the ball," Cooper said. "Offensively, Bailey truly knows how to push pace. She sees plays develop and is a willing passer that picks her spots. We have no doubt she will really flourish at the point for us. She is also an excellent on-ball defender who loves the challenge of going after premier players with a competitive drive that never stops."
    Cooper and his current Hilltopper squad are taking a brief break over the Thanksgiving weekend but return to the hardwood on Dec. 1 with a trip to West Virginia Wesleyan.