UTEP Volleyball Head Coach Ben Wallis announced Thursday that the club has inked a pair of middle blockers in Nourallah “Yasso” Amin from Florida SouthWestern State College and Alyssa King from Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School.
“Many of the kids we’re bringing into this class are not just good athletes, but elite athletes,” Wallis said. “Now, it’s my job to teach and train them into some serious weaponry. All of the young people that we’re bringing in 2021 will have a chance to compete for time on the floor with our current players.”
Amin and King join outside hitters Torrance Lovesee and Ema Uskoković and setter Ryley Frey as signees to Wallis’s 2021 recruiting class.
Nourallah “Yasso” Amin
The 6-1 Cairo, Egypt, native Amin tallied 84 blocks in her final season – tenth in the country amongst all junior college players – at Florida SouthWestern State College in 2020-21. Amin finished her Buccaneer career with 132 total blocks.
“What I like most about (Amin) is that I can play her left, middle or right, and she can come in right away and help us in any one of those three positions,” Wallis said.
In the 2020-21 season, Amin ranked third in the country with 48 service aces and fifth in aces per set (0.72).
“(Amin) has this big-time topspin jump serve,” Wallis said. “She can really wreck it.”
Amin finished third in the country amongst all junior college middle blockers, and 35th total, with 204 kills. She was fifth in the country hitting percentage (.408) as well.
“(Amin) just brings a lot to our team that we’re missing right now,” Wallis said. “She’s skilled and knows how to hit it so I’m really looking forward to getting her here and figuring out where she fits into the puzzle for us next year.”
Amin was also the first African player to compete in Florida SouthWestern State College volleyball’s program.
Alyssa King
The 6-0 Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native has notched 67 kills with a .326 hitting percentage in 11 matches her senior season. King has also blocked 37 balls into the 2020-21 season.
“(King) can really surprise us with her ability to play right away when she gets here and that’s something we (often) don’t know about young freshmen,” Wallis said. “She’s going to fit in the middle really well and give us some depth and competition there. (King) is more tuned to be a middle especially early in her career for us.”
King also competes for the Wildfire Volleyball Academy club team.
