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Players Mentioned
Volleyball Inks Three for 2013
1/18/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Coming off an 18-win campaign in her first year at the helm, Seton Hall head coach Allison Yaeger has announced the addition of three recruits for the 2013 season. Tessa Fournier (Redondo Beach, Calif.) will join Chicago natives Jasmine King and Danielle Schroeder in a Pirate uniform starting next fall.
“We are very excited about this 2013 class,” said Yaeger. "Our seniors are leaving some very big shoes to fill, but we believe that we are bringing in the best three players to do just that. All three come from from great volleyball backgrounds and club programs, and display advanced knowledge and understanding of the game that allows them to consistently perform at a high level."
A highly-decorated libero from South High School in Torrance, Calif., Tess Fournier has earned a multitude of accolades as a four-time letterwinner for the Spartans. A four-year captain who has led her team to a run of four-straight league championships, she capped her career by being selected to the All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) First Team for the second consecutive year, while also taking home her team and league’s Most Valuable Player awards. During her sophomore and junior seasons, Fournier was tabbed as Defensive Player of the Year in the league. A standout in a region rich in volleyball talent, Fournier has garnered All-Area recognition for the past three years.
“Tessa is coming in from California, which is known for being the epicenter of the volleyball world,” Yaeger stated. "She will be a wonderful addition to our libero/defensive specialist position and style of play will fit in perfectly with our top-ranked defense. She has great ball control and plays with excellent quickness."
"Volleyball is almost second nature to Tessa, as she has been playing her entire life," Yaeger continued. "Her ability to read hitters and adjust to different speeds of offense will be a great asset to our team moving forward."
Jasmine King, a 6-foot-2 middle hitter from Chicago, began her high school career at De La Salle High School where she was named Most Improved Player after her freshman season before transitioning to Marian Catholic High School. Over the last three years at MCHS, King has emerged as one of the premier players in the area. As a junior, she helped guide the squad to a fourth-place finish in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) playoffs, finishing the season as the team’s co-leader in kills. King plays her club volleyball for 1st Alliance, a program that is sending 16 members of the class of 2013 on to play at the Division I level. While in uniform for 1st Alliance, King was selected to the All-Tournament Team at the Memorial Day Classic and aided in securing a berth to the Junior Nationals tournament.
“Jasmine will add great depth to our group of middle hitters,” said Yaeger. "She brings a big, physical presence on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. She comes from an athletically gifted family where her father played Division I basketball and she has all the tools to be successful at this level as well."
King’s 1st Alliance teammate, Dani Schroeder, has spent the past four years starring for a highly-successful Whitney Young squad in her hometown of Chicago. A prolific offensive option from her outside hitter position, Schroeder totaled more than 300 kills and 48 aces as a senior on her way to her second city MVP award in as many years. Named one of the top-50 “Players to Watch” in Illinois for 2012, Schroeder was also named to the All-Area team this past year as she helped Whitney Young complete a run of back-to-back-to-back city championships. No stranger to success, she helped lead her high school to a 32-5 record as a junior, a season that culminated in a section championship game appearance and stands as the farthest that Whitney Young has advanced in school history.
“Dani will bring great strength to our pin hitter positions,” Yaeger said. "We are lucky in a way that she can play both outside and right-side. What I love most about Dani is her competitive fire. She is a great leader on the court with a contagious attitude."
"I feel that in a way, we are already one step ahead as Jasmine and Dani have been playing together for the last few years," added Yaeger. "Both are very strong hitters with big arms."
"All three girls have been on our radar for what seems like forever," Yaeger continued. "I am excited to finally get them in our gym and help mold them into successful Pirate volleyball players."
Seton Hall’s 18 victories in 2012 were the most for program since posting 20 wins in 2003. Seniors Morgan DeVries (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Hannah Hugeback (Virginia Beach, Va.), Kalie Marshall (North Royalton, Ohio) and Olivia Trudeau (Shell Beach, Calif.) will depart following graduation later this spring, but SHU’s trio of talented signees will join a squad that boasts reigning BIG EAST Libero of the Year Alyssa Warren (Joliet, Ill.), All-Conference performers Shelbey Manthorpe (Merion Station, Pa.) and Stacey Manthorpe (Merion Station, Pa.) and a host of experienced players as the Pirates continue their push towards prominence in their second year under coach Yaeger.
