BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- WKU volleyball head coach Travis Hudson announced the addition of a pair of high schools standouts Wednesday afternoon as Sophia Cerino (Brentwood, Tenn./Ravenwood/Alliance) and Emma Kowalkowski (Lake Orion, Mich./Notre Dame Prep/Legacy) signed National Letters of Intent and are set to join the Lady Topper program for the 2016 season.
"When you meet these two, there's just an infectious energy about them," Hudson said. "Their competiveness and energy will affect us every single day. They are intangible kids that will bring a lot to both the practice gym and game day. They're both really skilled and talented volleyball players that are going to be great leaders, teammates and competitors for us."
Cerino comes to The Hill from Brentwood, Tennessee, where the left-handed, outside hitter lettered all four years as a member of Ravenwood High School's volleyball team. Cerino helped lead Ravenwood to a state championship her freshman year and to a state runner-up finish as a sophomore. As a standout for the Lady Raptors, Cerino earned All-District and All-Tournament honors both her sophomore and junior seasons. The majority of her senior campaign has been limited due to injuries.
"I chose WKU because I fell in love with the school and the volleyball program," Cerino said. "The coaches and the team were so honest and welcoming to me. It just felt like home."
Cerino was a member of the Alliance Volleyball Club where she was named to the AVCA Phenom List after her junior year and was an AVCA All-American Watch List selection heading into her senior season.
Coach Hudson on Cerino:
"Sophia's a great kid and a great volleyball player. She's really intelligent and has a great demeanor on the court so we are really excited to get her here. We feel her best volleyball is yet to come. She's a lefty which we haven't had since Aquilla Orr (2006-09) came through so it has been a while. She will give us a different dimension on the court. Right now she's a very physical and athletic right-side hitter but we hope to be able to broaden her game and have her do a lot of different things for us here."
Defensive specialist Emma Kowalkowski, hailing from Lake Orien, Michigan, is set to join fellow Michigan natives and current Lady Topper rookies Rachel Anderson and Taylor Dellinger on The Hill in 2016.
As a four-year letter winner for Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac, Mich.), Kowalkowski was a First-Team All-State, All-Conference, All-County, All-Region and All-Catholic selection as a junior.
"I chose WKU because of its great reputation on and off the volleyball court," Kowalkowski said. "I look forward to developing my volleyball skills under a great coaching staff and continuing my education in a great community."
Heading into her senior campaign, the Detroit Free Press named Kowalkowski one of ten finalists for the Michigan Miss Volleyball award. The winner has yet to be named.
Notre Dame Prep's 2015 season recently came to a close as Kowalkowski completed her senior season with a total of 1,028 digs (7.1/set), 101 serving aces, and 90 kills. For her prep career, she finished with a total of 2,525 digs (5.3 per set), 299 service aces and 131 kills.
Coach Hudson on Kowalkowski:
"Emma is going to be the next in a long line of great defenders we've had here. She is probably as athletic as any defensive player we have ever signed. The thing that stuck out to me the most in her recruitment was her ability to dig balls outside of her area. She has great range which has a lot to do with her athleticism. She's another really bright and energetic kid that will impact the team in a lot of ways."
24th-ranked WKU (26-3, 13-1 C-USA) is set to close its 2015 regular season schedule this week as the Lady Toppers host Marshall Thursday evening for a 6 p.m. CT match and return to E.A. Diddle Arena Saturday for a Senior Day bout with UTEP set for noon CT.
