CLEVELAND, Ohio – Following his first year on the Cleveland State sideline, women's basketball head coach Chris Kielsmeier has announced the addition of two recruits for the upcoming 2019-20 season, as Taylah Levy and Aminata Ly will join the Vikings as true freshmen with four years of eligibility remaining.

"We're thrilled to have both of these players in our program next season, not only are they great people with incredible backgrounds, but they are outstanding in the classroom and extremely competitive and hard working on and off the court," Kielsmeier said. "We are so excited for them to be big contributors in the future of Cleveland State women's basketball, and we can't wait to see how they blend in with our other newcomers and returners next season."

Taylah Levy | 5-5, G | Victor Harbor, South Australia, Australia
Throughout her junior career, Levy was part of the U16 and U18 local and district teams, and was a four-time selection as a state representative on both the U16 and U18 squads.

After leading her state teams to four National Championships, Levy was named the 2018 South Australian Country Female Athlete of the Year and Bert Bargeus Medal Winner.

Last year, Levy averaged 25.0 points per game with her district team, while she also averaged 12.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in the South Australian Country National Championship.

In the classroom, Levy earned multiple academic awards during her high school career, and plans on majoring in physical education and health sciences.

Kielsmeier on Levy: "We are really excited about Taylah joining our team, she is a dynamic guard with the consistency to stretch the floor with her three-point range, but also has the ability to be creative off the bounce and score in a variety of ways around the basket. Taylah's knowledge and IQ of the game is a quality that really allows her to make plays involving not only herself, but her teammates on the floor with her. Taylah's work ethic and competitiveness sets her apart from her competition, as she is a relentless competitor on the court, which is something that our team will benefit from right away." 

Aminata Ly | 6-4, C | Dakar, Senegal
Ly spent two years of her prep career at the Greenforest Christian Academy in Decatur, Georgia, where she was a two-time Class A All-State Honorable Mention honoree and two-time unanimous First Team All-Region 5A selection. Ly finished her junior and senior seasons ranked in the top-12 in rebounding, blocked shots and double-doubles in Class A in the state of Georgia, including a No. 1 ranking with 7.0 blocks per game as a junior.

Throughout her two years, Ly averaged 12.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.5 blocks, 3.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. During her junior season, Ly recorded the first quadruple-double in school history, posting 23 points, 22 rebounds, 13 steals, and 11 blocked shots.

As a junior and senior, Ly led Greenforest Christian Academy to back-to-back state tournament appearances, including a trip to the round of 16 during her final campaign.

In the classroom, Ly was named to her high school Honor Roll, while also earning multiple Student of the Month and Scholar-Athlete awards, and plans on majoring in business. 

Kielsmeier on Ly: "We couldn't be happier about Aminata joining our team, she will make an immediate impact on the defensive end of the court for us with her athleticism and length, as she has the ability to really disrupt and shot block her competitors. Not only is Aminata a big threat defensively, she also has the ability to score in a variety of ways on the offensive end of the court. With her length, she will be an effective scorer around the basket, while she also has a consistent outside shot that will allow her to be successful away from the basket as a dynamic scorer. Her competitiveness and athleticism, combined with her work ethic, will really allow her to make plays on both ends of the floor, which will be extremely beneficial for our team."

Levy and Ly will join the duo of Julia Hintz and Elie Smith – who signed back in December – to complete the 2019-20 recruiting class for the Vikings.