Earlier Thursday, Bowling Green Volleyball announced the signings of five to national letters of intent.

Defensive specialists Avery Anders, Kate Eigner and Sydnie Hernandez, as well as setter Anna Sitek and opposite/outside hitter Cecily Waynar all signed national letters of intent to join the program starting in the 2024-25 season.

For Anders, she is the younger sister of current BGSU Football linebacker and captain Darren Anders. A native of North Olmsted, OH., Anders is currently apart of leading the Saint Joseph Jaguars on a playoff run, advancing to the state tournament final with a 23-4 record.

“I chose BGSU because of the outstanding culture that has been created,” said Anders. “The coaching staff and all the girls are amazing, extremely welcoming and will help me achieve my goals. I wanted to play at the highest level possible with great competition where I could learn and grow to be the best player I can be.”

A member of the third-team All-District and the AVCA All-American Watch List, Anders also earned AVCA Best and Brightest Third-Team Honors.

“Avery has all the attributes to be an excellent libero in college,” said head coach Danijela Tomic. “Her athleticism mixed with a highly competitive and dogged spirit is what stood out to us in the recruiting process. Avery is driven to be the best that she can be and with her work ethic and mindset, we are excited to be a part of her journey at BGSU.”

Eigner joins the program and only has a short drive down Wooster St. to make, as she is from Bowling Green, and is the daughter of current BGSU Hockey head coach Ty Eigner, and brother to goaltender Pete Eigner.

“I chose to attend BGSU because it’s a super special place to me and my family,” said Eigner. “I felt like my values aligned with the volleyball program’s and I enjoy the way they run their program.”

Currently playing for St. Ursula Academy, Eigner has aided the Arrows to back-to-back sectional championships this season so far still. She was also named to the Detroit Catholic High School League All-League Team.

“To have Kate in our program is special not only because of her family ties to BGSU, but because we have known her since she started playing volleyball at our Lil’ Falcons clinics many years ago,” said Tomic. “Kate’s athleticism and versatility have allowed her to play different positions on her teams, but we will focus on developing her as a defensive specialist.

Hernandez comes to Bowling Green from Bloomington, Ill., where she is a member of Normal Community West for the past three seasons, leading the Wildcats to a 101-17 record.

This season, Hernandez and the Wildcats made it to the Elite Eight of the Illinois State Volleyball Tournament, and overall in her career, she is a two-time First-Team All-Conference recipient while being named All-State Second Team this year and All-State Honorable Mention last year.

“Choosing Bowling Green State University was an easy decision for me,” said Hernandez. “As I walked off of campus, I couldn’t help but think of BGSU as my new home. A part of me couldn’t believe how sure I was about BG. But, deep down, I knew the decision was already made.”

Hernandez also set a record for the program, as she is now the all-time leader in digs and this year, averaged 8.2 digs/set.

“Sydnie stood out to us in the recruiting process with the consistency and quality of her first contact,” said Tomic. “She is equally good in serve receive and defensively and has all the other intangibles to be an excellent libero in college. We are thrilled that Sydnie chose to be a Falcon.”

The lone international recruit, Sitek comes from Katowice, Poland and is the second player currently on the roster from Katowice (Edyta Waclawczyk).

Sitek is a three-time gold medalist and a two-time silver medalist at the Silesian Voivodeship Championships while being a bronze medalist of the Polish Beach Volleyball Championship.

“I chose BGSU because of the wonderful family atmosphere there,” said Sitek. “I am also impressed by how much work the coaching staff puts into making their girls a better player and a better person day-to-day. Moreover, it is a very good university where I can develop my skills in every aspect and the amazing volleyball program allows me to combine playing volleyball and studying at a very high level.”

“Anna is a proven winner and has the skills and mentality that are necessary for a setter,” said Tomic. “We like versatility in our players and Anna brings that with her beach volleyball experience and as someone who transitioned from a hitter to a setter position. We are excited about what she will bring to our team and how she will make us better.”

Finally there is Waynar, the opposite/outside hitter from Amherst, OH., who is the daughter of former BGSU Falcon Marin (Felic) Waynar, who was a part of the orange and brown from 1993-97.

This season so far, Waynar leads the Comets in kills (329), and overall is a member of the Lorain County All-First Team.

“I chose to attend BGSU because of the competitiveness of the program, but also the community and support I would be receiving as well,” said Waynar.

“We are thrilled to see Cecily continue the family legacy as a member of BGVB!,” said Tomic. “Cecily has untapped potential with her height and powerful arm swing. She has played mostly as a middle blocker for her high school and club teams, but we will transition her to a right side/outside hitter.

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