CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M Lady Buff Basketball head coach Kristen Mattio and her staff have announced the addition of Yukon, Oklahoma native Kaitlyn Pivniska for the 2021-22 campaign as the first member of WT's high school signing class.
 
"We are really excited to announce that Averee and Kaitlyn will be joining our Lady Buff family. In this class we have the size, offensive skill sets and athleticism that will allow us to continue to compete for championships" said Mattio "This signing class is the epitome of a student-athlete, they are unbelievable class acts and their work ethic and self-motivation will serve our program well both on and off the court. As with all recruiting classes, I am very proud when a young lady decides to come to West Texas A&M and become a Lady Buff. We believe it's a life changing decision."
 
Pivniska is currently in her senior season at Mount St. Mary's High School in Oklahoma City under head coach Brandon Jackson. She averaged 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Rockets during her junior campaign in 2019-20, shooting an impressive 42.2% from the floor. 
 
Kaitlyn also excelled in the classroom as a member of the Team Academic State Champions at both Yukon High School (Class 6A) and Mount St. Mary's Catholic High School (Class 4A). She is the daughter of Chet and Amber Pivniska and she has two siblings, Addison and Tayler. Kaitlyn is planning to major in Health Science at West Texas A&M.
 
Mattio on Pivniska:
"We love Kaitlyn's size and versatility on the court. At 6'2 she can shoot the three, put it on the floor to score at the rim and post up in the paint. She sets the tone for the modern-day post player that can step out and stretch the defense beyond the 3-point line but still be very efficient in the paint with a post-up game. With her long athletic frame, guard like skills and basketball IQ she will cause match up issues for teams."
 
"Kaitlyn also has great court vision and does an excellent job of passing and setting up her teammates with great scoring opportunities, we have seen dramatic growth in her basketball skill set and believe the sky is the limit. She will flourish in our up-tempo style of play and will really be a vital part of our future success."
 
You won't find a young lady more passionate and invested in her success on the court and in the class room than Kaitlyn. She played AAU basketball this past summer with the Oklahoma Swarm and Coach Taylor Wollenberg. She also plays for Coach Brandon Jackson at Mount St. Mary High School. We are excited to have her join the Lady Buff family and we can't wait to get Kaitlyn in that Maroon & White jersey!"
 
Why Pivniska Chose WT:
"I chose WT not only because of the proven basketball program that Coach Mattio, Coach Perkins, and Coach Branson have built, but because the second I stepped on campus it felt like home to me and made me feel these three coaches would push me to be my absolute best."