BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Western Kentucky University volleyball team has signed three high school seniors to National Letters of Intent to join the program for the 2012 season, 17th-year head coach Travis Hudson announced Friday.
The group includes 6-2 middle blocker Noelle Langenkamp (Cincinnati, Ohio), 5-9 outside hitter Rachel Engle (Floyd Knobs, Ind.), and 6-0 outside hitter Haley Bodway (Bloomington, Minn.).
"I think this class really helps us take a major step forward nationally," Hudson said. "I think this is maybe the most physical class we've ever put together in terms of size and athleticism and we couldn't be happier."
Those three will join a WKU team that played in its third NCAA tournament in the last five years in 2010 and has won at least 25 matches in each of the last 10 seasons under Hudson.
Langenkamp is a three-year letterwinner and two-time all-state selection out of Ursuline Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio, who set the school's single-game (13) and career record for blocks. She also holds the single-game kill record with 30. As a senior, Langemkamp tallied 366 kills and 106 blocks on her way to first-team All-GGCL, first-team All-State and first-team All-City honors. As a sophomore, she helped her team to an undefeated 29-0 season and the Ohio state championship. Her team was ranked No. 2 in the nation. Ursuline Academy was a state semi-finalist again her junior year. Langenkamp finished her three-year varsity career with 657 kills and 275 blocks.
"I probably worked harder in the recruitment of Noelle Langenkamp than any kid I've ever recruited," Hudson said. "She is a kid we identified early on as being a really special player and she will be that. But what I got to know from spending time with her in recruitment is what a really special kid she is as well. She is the total package and I think that she is a name that everyone will know very well by the time she leaves WKU."
Engle is a three-year letterwinner at Floyd Central High School in Floyd Knobs, Ind., a former high school teammate of current Lady Toppers setter Melanie Stutsman and cousin of Ashley Potts. As a senior, Engle recorded 312 kills, 60 blocks and 235 digs. She helped her team to a 20-14 record and a state sectional berth behind 280 kills and 425 digs. The Highlands advanced to the final four of the Indiana State tournament when Engle was a sophomore. During her high-school career, she twice earned all-conference honors and was named first team All-State and first-team All-Area as a senior. Engle also earned ICGSA Academic All-State honors this year and was named to an academic all-american team after her junior year.
"As athletic a kid as we have ever signed here," Hudson said. "Rachel is going to be a fan favorite because of her incredible athleticism. She is really a high flyer and I think is going to develop into a kid here that can really carry a heavy load for us offensively."
Bodway is a six-year letterwinner and two-year captain at Bloomington Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minn., and was named one of the top five volleyball recruits in the state of Minnesota by PrepVolleyball.com. Bodway earned all-conference and MVP honors five times and was also named All-Metro and All-State. She completed her high school career with 1,512 kills, 256 blocks and 932 digs in 351 sets played. Bodway finished high school as the 13th all-time kill leader in the state of Minnesota. She was also a member of the track team at Bloomington Jefferson.
"Haley is a volleyball player first and foremost," Hudson said. "She is the first kid we've ever signed from the great state of Minnesota. She's coming a long way to the hill but again early on what grabbed me about her was just how savvy she is as a volleyball player. She's got a really high skill level and she's a big strong, athletic kid and we think she's got a beautiful future here."
