By the Daily News

Western Kentucky’s volleyball team added four new Hilltoppers on national signing day on Wednesday.

Kaira Knox, Kennedy Cherry, Kate Rush and Sonja Laaksonen will join the team for the 2025 season. Knox, Cherry and Rush will be on campus starting in the spring of 2025, with Laaksonen joining in the fall of 2025.

“With the success that our program has had, it would be hard to put together a recruiting class that could raise the bar, but this group might very well be able to do just that,” WKU coach Travis Hudson said in a news release. “We are so excited about what each of them brings to the table and they assure us that the future of WKU volleyball will continue to be bright.”

Knox is a 5-foot-9 rightside hitter from Nolensville, Tennessee. Knox comes to WKU with a slew of accolades including a two-time state champion and state tournament MVP, a two-time MaxPreps All American, a two-time Prep Volleyball All American and team captain during the 2023-2024 season at Nolensville. She also holds a national championship with USA Volleyball in 2019. Knox also holds the all-time kills record at Nolensville High School with 1,735 kills.

“Kaira Knox has a chance to be one of the truly special players that has ever worn the WKU volleyball jersey,” Hudson said. “She impacts the game in almost every way possible. She is a very talented young lady and an even better person. She will quickly become a fan favorite.”

Rush is a 6-foot setter from Georgetown. Rush joins WKU after leaving Great Crossing High School with career records in assists, blocks, aces and hitting percentage. A two-sport athlete in both volleyball and basketball, Rush was named Ms. Kentucky Volleyball in 2024, a UA-Next Under Armour All American, and was named First Team All-State in 2023 and 2024. She was also an all-region champion in 2021 and won her district in all four years of high school.

“At a school that has had multiple All-Americans at the setter position, Kate Rush has a chance to be the best ever,” Hudson said. “Her size and athleticism combined with an unmatched work ethic make the sky the limit for her as our future setter. I’m excited to see her future unfold.”

Laaksonen is a 6-foot outside hitter from Victoria, Minnesota. Laaksonen will join the Hilltoppers after a career at Holy Family Catholic High School where she posted a career with 1,324 kills, 1,184 digs and 132 service aces. She was a four-time All-Conference member and a two-time All-State player. She finishes her high school career named to the AVCA All-Region team and was included on the AVCA All-American watch list.

“Sonja is a kid that I cannot wait to get in our practice gym,” Hudson said. “She is an incredibly gifted player, and I believe she has a chance to become something truly special in a WKU uniform. She does things naturally that you cannot teach and has a huge ceiling that I look forward to reaching with her.”

Rounding out the 2025 signing class is Cherry, a 5-foot-7 defensive specialist from Noblesville, Indiana. A two-sport athlete in both volleyball and basketball, Cherry is a four-time All-Conference player and was named to the IHSAA All-State squad in 2023 and won the 2023 3A Sectional Volleyball Championship. In addition, she was recently named to the 2024 Indianapolis Star Super Team.

“Kennedy Cherry will be a fan favorite from day one,” Hudson said. “She is a terrific back row player both in serve receive and defensively, but what stands out the most is her competitiveness and energy. She is a true difference maker.”