Virginia Tech women’s basketball head coach Megan Duffy announced Wednesday the signings of Amani Jenkins (Johnston, IA/Johnston HS), Kate Sears (Boone, NC/Watuaga HS) and Aniya Trent (Springboro, OH/Springboro HS) to national letters of intent for the 2025-26 season.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Amani Jenkins, Kate Sears and Aniya Trent to Hokie Nation,” Duffy said. “All three have accomplished so much on and off the court. I appreciate the hard work of Itoro Coleman, Jen Hoover and Sharnee Zoll-Norman to help bring terrific people and student-athletes to Blacksburg. Our fans will love getting to know Amani, Kate and Aniya.”
Jenkins, a 6’3’’ forward is a four-star prospect and ranked 87th overall by ESPN HoopGurlz. She is 69th in 247sports’ rankings amongst the class of 2025. Last year, Amani helped lead Johnston High School to a state championship. The success didn’t stop as she won a national title with ETG Midwest AAU program on the Adidas circuit.
“Amani brings incredible versatility to the forward position,” Duffy said. “She can score inside the paint and stretch defenses with her shooting beyond the arc. Amani’s a great passer. It’s been exciting to watch her develop and grow every year.”
Sears, a 5’9 Guard from Boone, N.C. is a four-star prospect and ranked 87 overall by ESPN HoopGurlz. She is 72nd in 247sports’ rankings amongst the class of 2025.
She was a NCBCA First Team All-State pick as a junior in 2023-24 after averaging 30.6 points, 11 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the postseason. A three-time conference player of the year at Watauga High School, she had a 38-point performance in the state semifinals. Sears is the No. 2 overall prospect in the state, according to Prep Girls Hoops.
“Hokie Nation is going to love Kate’s game,” Duffy said. “She’s a fierce competitor and a relentless worker. Kate has shown the ability to will her team to win with her playmaking and scoring ability.”
Trent, a 6’3 forward from Springboro, Ohio is a four-star prospect according to ESPN HoopGurlz. Aniya is no stranger to winning. Her high school team won the Division One state championship. She was an integral part of their success in one of the most competitive girls basketball states in the country. Aniya also had a dynamic final season of AAU, winning the Under Armour National Championship, with West Virginia Thunder.
“Aniya has impacted winning wherever she has gone,” Duffy said. “She does all the little things it takes to be successful. Aniya’s versatility to score inside and out fits our system well. She has great vision and poise on the court. Her ability to protect the rim on defense and make it challenging on opponents will be fun to watch.”
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