Wednesday was national signing day for college volleyball, and head coach Kevin Hambly added three recruits to complement his team for next season.

Michelle Strizak and Katie Roustio will be added to the plethora of outside hitting options the Illini have, and Katie Stadick will be in the mix for a middle blocker spot that will be left vacant by senior Erin Johnson after this season.

The three recruits come from three different states, with Roustio coming from O’Fallon, Ill., Strizak hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Stadick being a native of Watertown, Wis.

All three made PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces list, which ranks the top 100 prospects and includes 150 more that make the list but are not ranked. Of the three, Strizak is ranked No. 22 and Stadick is No. 51, while Roustio made the list without rank.

Strizak and Roustio will join Liz McMahon, Jocelynn Birks, Ali Stark, Morganne Criswell and Jessica Jendryk, bringing the outside hitter total for Illinois to seven.

Hambly sees potential for the recruits, particularly Strizak and Stadick, to see playing time next season.

“There’ll be competition and they’ll be fighting for the spots,” Hambly said. “We’ve got a top-25 recruit on the outside that’s going to come give us depth, and if she’s good enough, she’ll play. It’s not saying she’s going to come in and automatically start, but there’s a possibility that she could start.”

Hambly added that Stadick will be in competition with current freshman Maddie Mayers for Johnson’s role in the starting lineup, though Mayers has a head start being on the team already.

In a news release, Hambly noted Strizak’s versatility as an asset. She played every position except libero in club and high school.

“That versatility will allow her to play several different roles early in her career, but she will be looked at to be a six rotation outside hitter,” he said.

Current libero Jennifer Beltran has seen the recruits come on visits and has gotten to know them a little bit in that time.

“We’re excited. That’s something that’s happening next year, but of course when the girls come on visits, you know, we’re welcoming,” Beltran said. “We love seeing them and just hearing how they’re doing, so it’s a good thing.

“Of course the younger ones on the team know them a little better just because they’ve played with each other when they were in high school or have played against each other and stuff,” she added.

Eliot can be reached at [email protected] and @EliotTweet.