MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University women’s soccer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown has announced the addition of five student-athletes for the 2024 season.
Joining the Mountaineers are Emily Akpebu (Kensington, Maryland), Taylor Allen (Blacksburg, Virginia), Alexis Ré (Manorville, New York), Alicia Riggins (Mansfield, Texas) and Maddie Levy (Manheim, Pennsylvania).
“We are thrilled to bring in a class like this,” Izzo-Brown said. “They are all so talented, hardworking, enthusiastic and competitive. Our whole staff worked relentlessly and has done a phenomenal job not only to bring talented student-athletes to WVU but great young women as well. We are so excited to work with this class.”
Emily Akpebu / Forward/Midfielder / Kensington, Md.
Akpebu is a native of Kensington, Maryland, where she attends Walter Johnson High School and plays for coach Neil Gottleib. As a starter and varsity letter winner all four years at Walter Johnson, she helped the team to Maryland High School State Soccer Regional Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022. Akpebu and Walter Johnson HS advanced to the regional finals during her junior season in 2022. In the club ranks, she played for coach Kevin Layton at the Bethesda Soccer Club. Named to the ECNL Tennessee Showcase Best XI Honorable Mention team in 2021, she also helped Bethesda become the 2020 ECNL North Atlantic Conference Champions and the 2021 Top Flight Jeff Cup Champions. Rated a three-star prospect by TopDrawerSoccer, she is the seventh-ranked player in Maryland and the 38th-ranked player in the Mid-Atlantic Region according to the TopDrawerSoccer Fall 2023 rankings. The daughter of Frank and Rose, Akpebu plans to major in finance at WVU.
Taylor Allen / Forward / Blacksburg, Va.
A Blacksburg, Virginia, native, Allen played for coach Miguel Rodrigues at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. During her time at IMG, she helped her team become a Girls Academy National Finalist and a two-time Girls Academy Champions League Finalist. Allen participated in the Girls Academy Southeast Talent ID event, which features the top talent in the GA Southeast Conference. She also served as a representative for the Southeast Conference on the Girls Academy Advisory Panel. The daughter of Shawn and Kristin, Allen plans to major in finance at WVU.
Alexis Ré / Forward / Manorville, N.Y.
Ré is a native of Manorville, New York, where she attends Riverhead High School, playing for coach Kasey Mandery. In the club ranks, she plays for SUSA ECNL 06 and coach JR Balzarini. Ré’s accomplishments include all-county, all-division and all-state honors, while she also has been named to the All-Long Island Team. Additionally, Ré was invited to participate in the U-13 YNT Identification Training. The daughter of Erik and Aimee, Ré plans to major in exercise physiology at WVU.
Alicia Riggins / Forward / Mansfield, Texas
A native of Mansfield, Texas, Riggins attends Mansfield Lakeridge High School. She plays club soccer for coach Sal Adames of Solar Soccer Club. Her athletic accolades include being named to the first team all-district and second team all-area teams in 2021. Riggins also was honored by the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches (TASCO) on the TASCO All-Region Second Team. Also a member of her high school’s track team, she was part of a 4×4 relay team that was an area qualifier in 2023. Academically, Riggins was named academic all-district and earned a spot on her high school’s honor roll. The daughter of Jamieson and Melinda, Riggins plans to major in business at WVU.
Maddie Levy / Forward/Midfielder / Manheim, Pa.
Levy is a native of Manheim, Pennsylvania, where she attends Manheim Central High School. She plays club soccer for the PA Classics and coach Todd Wawrousek. Earlier this year, Levy participated in the Cappelli Sport UK International Tour as a member of the U-19 team. During her time in club soccer, she has been invited to the Girls Academy National Talent ID event and the Mid-Atlantic Conference Talent ID event. Levy also has spent time training with U.S. Soccer, participating in the Regional Invitational Camp in 2021 and the Regional Training Camp in 2018 and 2019. She also was invited to participate in U.S. Soccer’s East Coast Week-Long Camp in 2020. Academically, she is a member of the National Honor Society. The daughter of Bret and Laura, Levy will enroll in general studies at WVU.
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