Youngstown, Ohio — Youngstown State volleyball head coach Riley Jarrett is excited to announce the addition of three Division I transfers to the program for the 2026 spring semester.
The trio includes defensive specialist Ashlee Gnau (Syracuse), outside hitter Kylie Surratt (UT Martin), and middle blocker/right-side hitter Wrigley Takats (Eastern Michigan). All three will be juniors during the 2026 fall season and will join a talented freshman class of Korina Barber, Natalie Carr, Journey Nicola and Hayden Rodriguez.
Position: Defensive Specialist
Hometown: Northville, Mich.
High School: Northville
Previous School: Syracuse
Club: Legacy Volleyball Club
Coach Jarrett on Gnau: I recruited Ashlee out of high school and always knew she had a ton of potential. She is a great addition to our back court defense and passing. We are excited to get her competitive drive in our gym and looking forward to seeing her compete in the Horizon League.
At Syracuse: Played in 34 matches and made seven starts over two years at Syracuse… As a sophomore, appeared in 10 matches and started against Wake Forest… Had season highs of three aces and five digs against UAlbany… Registered aces against Canisius, Wake Forest and Pitt… Played in 24 matches as a freshman while making six starts… Posted 109 digs, including a career-high 14 against Notre Dame.
High School: Finished her high school career with 888 digs and 113 aces, including senior-year totals of 325 digs and 36 aces… Was an all-conference and all-region honoree in 2023… Attended the same high school as former Penguins libero Nyia Setla.
Position: Outside Hitter
Hometown: Maryland Heights, Mo.
High School: Pattonville
Previous School: UT Martin
Club: Team Momentum
Coach Jarrett on Surratt: Kylie is a very mature player who aligned with our program's values and goals on and off the court. She will be a strong addition for us as a six-rotation player, and we are looking forward to seeing her compete as a Penguin.
AT UT Martin: Played her first two collegiate seasons at UT-Martin, posting totals of 539 kills, 392 digs and 77 blocks… As a sophomore, averaged 2.47 kills, 2.01 digs and 0.47 blocks over 100 sets for the Skyhawks… Played in all 29 matches and started 25 of them… Reached double digits in kills 12 times, including a season-high of 20 against SIUE… As a freshman, was named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference second team while posting 292 kills, 80 more than any teammate… Ranked among the top 10 in the OVC in kills and points.
High School: At Pattonville High School, earned AVCA All-American accolades as a senior… Named conference player of the year three times while shattering school records for career kills, career matches played, match kills and match blocks.
Position: Middle Blocker
Hometown: Perrysburg, Ohio
High School: Perrysburg
Previous School: Eastern Michigan
Club: Toledo Volleyball Club
Coach Jarrett on Takats: Wrigley is a dynamic middle blocker who will have a lot of potential in our offensive and defensive systems. She has a high ceiling to continue to grow and we are happy to have her.
At Eastern Michigan: Played her first two seasons at Eastern Michigan, appearing in 67 sets over 22 matches… Recorded 60 kills and 58 blocks in 60 sets as a sophomore… Finished her sophomore season with the Eagles with 91.5 points… Played in 16 of the final 18 matches…
High School: Helped lead Perrysburg to three straight district titles… Earned All-Northern League accolades three times… Set the school record with 265 career blocks.
