Volleyball signs two players

Alabama head volleyball coach Ed Allen announced the signing of Laura Steiner from Fort Collins, Colo., and Yukie Fatumi from Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday.

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 and a three-time first team all-conference selection. Steiner finished her senior season with 361 kills, averaging 6 kills per set.

Fatumi played her last two seasons at Miami Dade College in Florida. The 5-foot-5 libero finished the 2012 season with 45 kills, 15 aces and led the team with 498 total digs to average 4.88 digs per set, while playing in 102 sets throughout the year.

With the addition of Steiner and Fatumi, the 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.).

Women’s tennis signs five-star recruit

Alabama women’s tennis head coach Jenny Mainz announced the signing of Maya Jansen on Tuesday.

“We are very much looking forward to the arrival of Maya Jansen this fall,” Mainz said in a statement. “Maya is a great athlete and has tremendous potential. She certainly has achieved success in her junior career, but her best tennis is in front on her. She has played team sports, so she understands what it means to be a team player.”

Jansen, who was born in Madison, S.D., before moving to Valleyford, Wash., is a five-star recruit, ranked No. 51 in the nation and first in both the Northwest region and Washington, according to TennisRecruiting.net. She competed in the Fed Cup for the Pacific Northwest section and was the Washington state runner-up in 2009, after losing to her older sister, who plays tennis for West Virginia University, in the finals. Jansen holds an 8-2 record against five-star recruits.

Jansen also played volleyball in high school, where she earned first team all-league and all-state honors.

“Maya will absolutely make an impact in our program,” Mainz said. “We are excited about the future of Alabama tennis with Maya Jansen as an integral part of our team.”