With two seniors leaving the WKU volleyball program after the 2019 season, head coach Travis Hudson added more depth to his front row on Wednesday.

Hudson announced the signing of prep standout Sam Canner, who inked her National Letter of Intent to play for the Lady Toppers on the Hill next fall.

Canner is a middle hitter from Lore City, Ohio, that will be expected to add even more depth to the lethal WKU offense.

She joins fellow fall signee Shannon Keck as the newest additions to the Lady Topper program that has now produced 20 consecutive 20-win seasons.

“In this class, we knew we needed to get a little bigger; we’re a super athletic team but we’re not the biggest team in the country,” Hudson said in a release. “Sam is a really physical athlete and she’s an interesting story. She’s been a basketball kid most of her life and volleyball is something she’s still fairly new to.

“She reminds me a lot of Tiffany Elmore who played here (2008-11), who was a terrific middle for us that also had a basketball background and turned herself into a great middle hitter here. We recruited Sam through our camps and she just really blew us away with some of her natural gifts. She’s a hardworking kid from a great family that I think has a super bright future in our offense.”

Canner played her high school career at at Buckeye Trail, leading the Warriors to a 17-7 record along with the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Class 3A championship as a senior.

Canner was named first-team All-Ohio along with her OVAC Class 3A and District 12 Player of the Year honors. She was also recognized as the Inter-Valley Conference Player of the Year.

With 1,281 career kills, Canner leaves Buckeye Trail as the career kills leader and ranked 60th nationally. The middle hitter racked up 497 kills in her final prep season — the top mark in Division III in Ohio and the third-most of all high school divisions in the state.

Playing her club ball with the East Ohio Force squad, the 6-1 middle was a three-time First Team nod for both the OVAC and District 12.

A Third Team All-Ohio honoree as a sophomore and Second Team All-Ohio selection as a junior, Canner also spent time playing on the right side.

“I chose WKU because it just felt right; it already feels like my home away from home,” Canner said in a release. “The coaches and players are all amazing people with great personality and ambition and I’m so happy to officially be a part of the family!”

Canner and Keck are set to become members of a loaded WKU roster that is seems poised for more success when next season rolls around.