Volleyball Adds Two During April Signing Period
4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
April 17, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - University of Alabama head volleyball coach Ed Allen announced today the signing of Laura Steiner (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Yukie Fatumi (Tokyo, Japan) during the April signing period. Steiner is an outside hitter and Fatumi joins the Crimson Tide as a libero.
Laura Steiner is a 6-foot, outside hitter from Fort Collins High School, where she was the Front Range Conference Player of the year in 2012. A three-time first team all-conference selection, Steiner finished her senior season with 361 kills, averaging 6.0 kills per set. She also had a team-high 160 digs to average 2.67 digs per set. She helped FCHS to a 3-2 win over Fossil Ridge when she had a season-high 38 kills in the match. She had double-digits in kills in 16 matches her senior season, including six double-doubles in kills and digs.
Additionally, Steiner helped FCHS to a 16-7 overall record and a 9-2 conference mark in 2010 when she averaged 4.5 kills per set. She was an Honorable Mention Class 5A All-Colorado state selection by the Denver Post in 2009 and 2010, and helped Fort Collins HS to a conference championship her sophomore season. She played club volleyball for Front Range and NORCO Volleyball Club.
Yukie Fatumi will come to Tuscaloosa after playing the last two seasons at Miami Dade College in Florida. The 5-5, libero helped the Lady Sharks to a FLCCAA Southern Conference Championship and an 11th place national finish at the NJCAA National Tournament in 2011. Miami Dade College finished the 2011 season with a 25-6 record, as Fatumi had 45 kills, 15 aces and led the team with 498 total digs to average 4.88 digs per set, while playing in 102 sets during the year.
Fatumi was named First Team All-Southern Conference, was a FCSAA first team all-state selection and was named to the FCSAA All-Tournament Team in 2012. Additionally, she was named the FCSSA Defensive Player of the Week three times. As a freshman, she played in 89 sets, tallying 288 digs to average 3.24 digs per set and added 47 kills, 16 aces, 13 assists and four blocks in 2010. She played high school volleyball at Kyoei Gakuen in her hometown on Tokyo, Japan.
With the addition of Steiner and Fatumi to the 2012 incoming volleyball class, the Crimson Tide has signed six players for the upcoming season. The class also includes outside hitter Kryssi Daniels (Jasper, Ala.), middle blocker Kanesha Burch (Hoover, Ala.), setter Sierra Wilson (Anaheim, Calif.) and outside hitter Mattie Weldy (Mobile, Ala.).
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