WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Liberty University women's basketball head coach Kyle Cooper has announced the addition of six student-athletes who will join the Hilltopper program for the 2026-27 season. The incoming class blends proven collegiate experience with accomplished high school talent as Ashlynn Van Tassell, Lauren Borella, Lauren Ellis, Lexi Powell, Rilee Storm and Laken Vinskovich will suit up in the Black and Gold this winter.

"As a staff and program, we're extremely excited and proud of the recruiting class we were able to put together as we work to get back to playing for championships here on the Hilltop," Cooper said. "We believe we have checked a lot of boxes we were attacking and when you look at how it comes together with our returning roster there is no doubt we have the opportunity to be very successful this season. You win in life and in basketball with people and we have a roster full of those kind of people."


Ashlynn Van Tassell
6-3 | Center | Cameron, W.Va. | Youngstown State | Cameron HS

Van Tassell returns to the Ohio Valley after spending the past two seasons at Youngstown State. After suffering a season-ending injury during her freshman campaign, she returned to appear in 10 games as a redshirt freshman. One of the most decorated players in West Virginia high school basketball history, Van Tassell starred at Cameron High School, helping lead the Dragons to three WVSSAC Class A state championships and four OVAC titles. She finished her prep career as Cameron's all-time leading scorer and rebounder with more than 2,000 career points and 1,500 rebounds.

Van Tassell was a four-time First Team All-State selection, a three-time OVAC and Mason-Dixon Player of the Year and earned Tournament MVP honors after leading Cameron to the 2024 state championship. She also set a West Virginia state record with 31 rebounds in a game and established the state tournament record with 61 rebounds over three contests.

"Ashlynn is a true post player that brings the kind of size and physicality that you don't see every day at our level and is a flat-out winner," Cooper said. "When you combine that with an elite skillset, college experience and IQ, she has the ability to impact right away and naturally fit into our style of play."


Lauren Borella
5-7 | Combo Guard | Canonsburg, Pa. | Canon-McMillan HS

Borella joins the Hilltoppers after helping Canon-McMillan capture the first WPIAL championship in school history while setting the program record for victories in a season. A four-year starter and three-year team captain, Borella started 98 consecutive games during her high school career. She earned First Team BIG 56 All-Section honors three straight seasons after being named honorable mention as a freshman while also collecting First Team All-Conference, Fab Five and Observer-Reporter All-Region recognition as a senior.

Away from the court, Borella earned High Honors all four years while participating in numerous academic and community organizations. She also competed with the SLAAM AAU program.

"Lauren is a combo guard that can play on or off the ball and will be an absolute natural in our system with her ability to create advantages offensively and then make the right plays for not only herself but her teammates," Cooper said. "She is extremely active defensively and on the glass, plays with a motor that doesn't stop, and sees the game at a high level."



Lauren Ellis
6-1 | Guard | Columbus, Ohio | Centerburg HS

Ellis helped Centerburg High School capture the 2026 Knox Morrow Athletic Conference championship after leading the Trojans to a district runner-up finish the previous season. A three-year varsity starter, Ellis earned Second Team All-Conference and Second Team All-District honors as a senior after receiving KMAC Honorable Mention recognition in 2025. She also earned KMAC All-Academic honors in both 2025 and 2026 while setting the school record for most three-pointers made in a season in back-to-back years. Ellis additionally led the team in assist-to-turnover ratio and blocked shots during both seasons. She also competed with the Buckeye State Blast AAU program.

"Lauren is a highly skilled wing that can play at all three levels offensively while having the size and length to impact the game in so many ways," Cooper said. "Once she gets acclimated to this level and our system, she will have the opportunity to get in the mix and bring a ton of value."



Lexi Powell
5-9 | Guard | Rosman, N.C. | Wesleyan Christian Academy

Powell brings a versatile offensive game after a four-year varsity career at Wesleyan Christian Academy. A four-year starter and three-year captain, Powell surpassed both the 1,000-point and 1,500-point milestones while earning multiple All-Conference, All-District and All-Western North Carolina honors. She averaged nearly 18 points per game as a sophomore and finished her career as one of the most accomplished scorers in program history. Powell was also a four-time Scholar-Athlete and Honor Roll recipient while serving her school and community through numerous leadership and volunteer organizations. She also played with Team KMA.

"Lexi comes to us all the way from North Carolina and has a maturity and a communication level you don't see very often of an incoming freshman," Cooper said. "She is a high-level shooter with deep range and sees the game in a way that will make her natural in our system."




Rilee Storm
5-11 | Guard | Glen Dale, W.Va. | John Marshall HS

Storm arrives following an outstanding four-year career at nearby John Marshall High School, where she helped lead the Monarchs to their first WVSSAC State Tournament appearance in 32 years and their first OVAC championship game since 2018.
A four-year starter and two-year captain, Storm finished as John Marshall's all-time leading scorer while earning First Team All-State honors as both a junior and senior. She was also a two-time First Team All-Valley and First Team All-OVAC selection, capped her career by earning North MVP honors in the North-South All-Star Game and averaged more than 20 points and nine rebounds during both her junior and senior seasons. Storm also lettered three years in cross country and competed with the Western PA Bruins AAU program.

"Rilee is an extremely driven wing that has the ability to fill it up as a scorer with her ability to play at all three levels and utilize her size, length and IQ," Cooper said. "It is always great to keep local talent at home and there is no doubt she is college ready."



Laken Vinskovich
6-0 | Forward | Belmont, Ohio | Union Local HS

Vinskovich comes to West Liberty after a standout career at Union Local High School, where she helped the Jets compile an 84-19 record during her four varsity seasons while surpassing the 1,000-point mark for her career. A three-year starter and two-year captain, Vinskovich earned First Team All-Ohio honors as a senior while being named District 12 Player of the Year, East District Player of the Year, First Team All-OVAC and First Team All-Buckeye 8. She also collected Third Team All-Ohio honors as a junior after earning All-Ohio Special Mention recognition as a sophomore. An outstanding student, Vinskovich was a four-year academic letter winner, National Honor Society member and student council participant. She also has strong West Liberty ties as her sister, Reagan Vinskovich, is a current member of the Hilltopper women's basketball team while her brother, Liam Vinskovich, previously competed in the high jump for West Liberty before transferring to Kent State. Vinskovich also competed with the OV Lady Dragons AAU program.

"Laken is a high-level athlete with size and length that will allow her to bring value in a variety of ways from running lanes to rebounding the basketball," Cooper said. "Her ceiling is really high and as she learns our system and polishes her skillset will make gains quickly."


The six-player class gives the Hilltoppers a balanced group featuring size, perimeter shooting, championship experience and proven leadership. Van Tassell adds Division I experience in the post, while Borella, Ellis, Powell, Storm and Vinskovich each arrive following highly successful high school careers highlighted by all-state recognition, championship success and academic achievement.

"In the world where roster construction has never been harder, we have positioned ourselves in a place where the talent of our returners and newcomers can come together to place us in a potential to make noise both in our league and regionally; and that is the standard here on the Hilltop," Cooper said. "We cannot wait to get to work and start forming the identity of this year's team and family both on and off the court."




West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students' aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more at westliberty.edu.