MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Jan. 8, 2024) – West Virginia University women’s soccer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown has announced the addition of four student-athletes who will join the Mountaineers’ roster for the 2024 spring season.
Joining WVU are Bailey Herfurth (Northport, New York), Ajanae Respass (Highlands Ranch, Colorado), Sydney Ritter (Berlin, New Jersey) and Roxanne Vilain (Montreal, Quebec, Canada).
“We are so excited to welcome these four ladies to our West Virginia family,” Izzo-Brown said. “Each one brings experience, flair, hard work and enthusiasm that we feel made them a great fit for this team. My staff worked extremely hard to bring in such a talented group, and I am so excited to start working with this 2024 team.”
Bailey Herfurth / Goalkeeper / Northport, New York
Herfurth is a native of Northport, New York, and arrives in Morgantown from LSU, where she spent two seasons playing for the Tigers. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, she earned her first career start between the posts in LSU’s first round competition against Memphis in the NCAA Tournament, recording four saves in the match. Following the season, Herfurth was named to First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll. Prior to arriving at LSU, she attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and started three seasons in goal. A 2021 Southeast GA Champion, she also was a three-year member of the ODP Region 1 squad and was named to the Red Bulls Select team. In 2017, Herfurth and her IMG Academy team were ECNL Northeast Champions and national finalists. Prior to attending IMG, she started playing varsity soccer in eighth grade for Northport High School and was named to the Suffolk County all-freshman team during her freshman season. She led Northport to two Suffolk County championships. A two-sport athlete in high school, she also was a 2019 state champion in New York in lacrosse. The daughter of JT and Stephanie, Herfurth plans to major in exercise physiology at WVU.
Ajanae Respass / Forward / Highlands Ranch, Colorado
A Highlands Ranch, Colorado, native, Respass arrives at WVU following a two-year stint at Oregon where she was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team after leading the Ducks in goals (4) and points (10) in 2022. Respass appeared in 35 total contests while at Oregon. During her sophomore season in 2023, she scored two goals and was second on the team with 20 shots. At season’s end she was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team. Prior to her time at Oregon, she was a four-star prospect (TopDrawerSoccer) from Valor Christian High School and Real Colorado in the club ranks. Respass was named to the 2021 5A Colorado All-State First Team after leading Valor Christian to the state semifinals. She also was a 2021 Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year finalist after scoring 17 goals with five assists to lead Valor Christian to the Jefferson County Conference Championship. With Real Colorado, she scored more than 60 goals with more than 50 assists during her career and helped the club advance to the 2021 ECNL national quarterfinals. The daughter of Terrell and Carrie, Respass plans to major in marketing at WVU.
Sydney Ritter / Forward / Berlin, New Jersey
Ritter is a native of Berlin, New Jersey, and arrives in Morgantown from Auburn, where she spent one season with the Tigers. Prior to taking a redshirt in the fall of 2023, Ritter graduated from Eastern Regional High School where she was an NJSIAA All-State selection. Ritter led Eastern Regional to a No. 1 ranking in the state and an undefeated 2020-21 season, scoring 12 goals and assisting on seven more. She also helped the team claim the 2018 New Jersey State Championship, as well as earn Team of the Year honors by NJ.com for the first time in program history. In the club ranks, she played for PDA North and was a Girls Academy Mid-Atlantic Talent ID Conference attendee in 2021. The daughter of Bentley and Faith, Ritter plans to major in economics at WVU.
Roxanne Vilain / Defender / Montreal, Quebec, Canada
A native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Vilain comes to WVU from Portland, where she spent two seasons playing for the Pilots. After sitting out with an injury in 2022, she appeared in five contests during her sophomore season in 2023. She made her first collegiate appearance against UC Irvine and saw 30 minutes of action. Prior to arriving at Portland, she attended College de Montreal while playing for CNHP/Quebec REX in the club ranks. Vilain was selected to participate in the National Center of High Performance as part of the Soccer Canada REX program, becoming the third-best scorer in the league in 2017. Also in 2017, she trained with the Valencia Football Club B team, eventually receiving a nomination for best player of the season. Vilain and the club were CEGEP National Champions in 2020. The daughter of Jean-Marie Vilain and Martine Page-Dubois, Vilain plans to major in psychology at WVU.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Joining WVU are Bailey Herfurth (Northport, New York), Ajanae Respass (Highlands Ranch, Colorado), Sydney Ritter (Berlin, New Jersey) and Roxanne Vilain (Montreal, Quebec, Canada).
“We are so excited to welcome these four ladies to our West Virginia family,” Izzo-Brown said. “Each one brings experience, flair, hard work and enthusiasm that we feel made them a great fit for this team. My staff worked extremely hard to bring in such a talented group, and I am so excited to start working with this 2024 team.”
Bailey Herfurth / Goalkeeper / Northport, New York
Herfurth is a native of Northport, New York, and arrives in Morgantown from LSU, where she spent two seasons playing for the Tigers. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, she earned her first career start between the posts in LSU’s first round competition against Memphis in the NCAA Tournament, recording four saves in the match. Following the season, Herfurth was named to First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll. Prior to arriving at LSU, she attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and started three seasons in goal. A 2021 Southeast GA Champion, she also was a three-year member of the ODP Region 1 squad and was named to the Red Bulls Select team. In 2017, Herfurth and her IMG Academy team were ECNL Northeast Champions and national finalists. Prior to attending IMG, she started playing varsity soccer in eighth grade for Northport High School and was named to the Suffolk County all-freshman team during her freshman season. She led Northport to two Suffolk County championships. A two-sport athlete in high school, she also was a 2019 state champion in New York in lacrosse. The daughter of JT and Stephanie, Herfurth plans to major in exercise physiology at WVU.
Ajanae Respass / Forward / Highlands Ranch, Colorado
A Highlands Ranch, Colorado, native, Respass arrives at WVU following a two-year stint at Oregon where she was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team after leading the Ducks in goals (4) and points (10) in 2022. Respass appeared in 35 total contests while at Oregon. During her sophomore season in 2023, she scored two goals and was second on the team with 20 shots. At season’s end she was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team. Prior to her time at Oregon, she was a four-star prospect (TopDrawerSoccer) from Valor Christian High School and Real Colorado in the club ranks. Respass was named to the 2021 5A Colorado All-State First Team after leading Valor Christian to the state semifinals. She also was a 2021 Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year finalist after scoring 17 goals with five assists to lead Valor Christian to the Jefferson County Conference Championship. With Real Colorado, she scored more than 60 goals with more than 50 assists during her career and helped the club advance to the 2021 ECNL national quarterfinals. The daughter of Terrell and Carrie, Respass plans to major in marketing at WVU.
Sydney Ritter / Forward / Berlin, New Jersey
Ritter is a native of Berlin, New Jersey, and arrives in Morgantown from Auburn, where she spent one season with the Tigers. Prior to taking a redshirt in the fall of 2023, Ritter graduated from Eastern Regional High School where she was an NJSIAA All-State selection. Ritter led Eastern Regional to a No. 1 ranking in the state and an undefeated 2020-21 season, scoring 12 goals and assisting on seven more. She also helped the team claim the 2018 New Jersey State Championship, as well as earn Team of the Year honors by NJ.com for the first time in program history. In the club ranks, she played for PDA North and was a Girls Academy Mid-Atlantic Talent ID Conference attendee in 2021. The daughter of Bentley and Faith, Ritter plans to major in economics at WVU.
Roxanne Vilain / Defender / Montreal, Quebec, Canada
A native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Vilain comes to WVU from Portland, where she spent two seasons playing for the Pilots. After sitting out with an injury in 2022, she appeared in five contests during her sophomore season in 2023. She made her first collegiate appearance against UC Irvine and saw 30 minutes of action. Prior to arriving at Portland, she attended College de Montreal while playing for CNHP/Quebec REX in the club ranks. Vilain was selected to participate in the National Center of High Performance as part of the Soccer Canada REX program, becoming the third-best scorer in the league in 2017. Also in 2017, she trained with the Valencia Football Club B team, eventually receiving a nomination for best player of the season. Vilain and the club were CEGEP National Champions in 2020. The daughter of Jean-Marie Vilain and Martine Page-Dubois, Vilain plans to major in psychology at WVU.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
