KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Western Michigan volleyball announced two new additions to the line-up for the 2013 season, with incoming freshman Alysia Baznik and fifth-year senior Rachel Sheffer enrolling at Western Michigan and joining the Bronco volleyball program.  While Baznik will enter as a freshman with four full seasons of eligibility, Sheffer comes to the program with one year of eligibility and will attend graduate school.

Baznik will come to Kalamazoo via Naperville, Ill. where she played at Naperville Central.  A Chicago Sun-Times Girls All-Area Volleyball Team honoree in 2012,  Baznik served as a team captain in for three seasons and helped the Redhawks to the regional finals in all four seasons she was on the team.
 
Along with her All-Area honor, the 5-10 outside hitter was selected as a 2012 All-Star for SportsTownChicago.com's 3rd annual Illinois High School Volleyball All Star Game after she posted 304 kills, 176 digs and 58 aces in her senior campaign.  Prior to her senior season, she spent time as a setter; in 2011 Baznik notched 485 assists to go along with 231 kills and 102 digs.  In addition, she has twice been honored as All Area Dupage County Daily Herald (2012-13) and as First Team All-Area Naperville Sun (2012-13).

In addition to her high school playing career, Baznik was also a member of a standout club volleyball program, Mizuno Sports Performance 18 Elite.  As team captain in 2013, she was named to the All-Tournament team at the 2013 Sports Performance President's Day Challenge, helping the team to a victory over Mizuno M1 Volleyball from Bloomington, Minn.

Sheffer comes to Western Michigan after a stellar four-year career as a women's basketball player at Michigan; the 6-1 post player finished her hoops career ranking 12th in Wolverine program history with 1,197 points and 20th with 500 rebounds.  Voted the Wolverines' Most Valuable Player by her teammates in 2012, Sheffer was twice honored as an All-Big Ten Conference Honorable Mention (2012, 2013) and as Academic All-Big Ten in 2013.  She averaged 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds over the course of her college basketball career, and concluded her undergraduate career with a degree in Sociology.

Sheffer's athletics career is not confined to basketball, however, as the incoming fifth-year senior ranked as an accomplished volleyball player in high school.  She was a two-time First Team All-State performer (2007-08) at Watervliet High School, as well as a three-time First Team All-Conference honoree (2006-08) and a three-time member of the All-Region team (2006-08).  Sheffer served as captain of the Panthers for  three seasons, and was voted the team's Most Valuable Player in each of her four years on the team.