The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Women's Soccer Receives Commitments From Five Players
2/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Feb. 7, 2004
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The UAB women's soccer team officially added five highly-touted recruits on Saturday as the 2003 Conference USA champion Blazers announced the addition of Ali Bolles, Katie Henricks, Sally Palmer, Jillian Porto and Daelyn Richards during the first week of the spring signing period.
The UAB women's soccer signees hail from various parts of the United States and represent the following five states: Alabama, Florida, Oregon, Texas and Virginia.
Ali Bolles, a native of Atlantic Beach, Fla., signed with the Blazers after starting all four seasons at Fletcher High School. She was a two-time all-state and three-time all-conference performer and was named the 2004 District 6-5A Player of the Year. Bolles also competes for the Jacksonville Fury and has been a member of the Florida State Select Olympic Development team.
As a senior, she registered 32 goals and added 13 assists en route to being named all-state, all-conference and all-district. Bolles compiled a total of 51 goals during her high school career and also accumulated 35 assists while leading Fletcher High School to a stellar 89-11-8 overall record.
Katie Henricks, a local product from Leeds, Ala., will join the UAB women's soccer team in the fall of 2004 after playing four seasons at Shades Valley High School.
During her sophomore season, Henricks was named an Alabama All-State Honorable Mention performer and was named to the All-Tournament teams of both the Lakeshore Shootout and the Metro South Tournament. She is also a member of the three-time State Champion Alabama Attack and has been a member of the Alabama State Select Olympic Development team.
Sally Palmer, a member of the D'Feeters Soccer Club in Farmers Branch, Texas, also signed with the Blazers this week during the early spring signing period.
A forward, Palmer was a three-time, First-Team 5A All-District member as well as the District's Offensive MVP at Robert E. Lee High School. She helped lead her team to the district championship in three-consecutive seasons and was named to a total of six all-tournament teams. Palmer was also the team's leading scorer during three-straight seasons and was voted as both the team captain and MVP.
Jillian Porto, a first-team all-district member in both 2002 and 2003, will also join the Blazers at the beginning of the 2004 season. She is a native of Woodbridge, Va., and competed for the highly-respected Prince William Soccer Incorporated Club team in Virginia. Porto was a two-time all-district performer and was recently named to the Prince William Daily Journal All-Area team.
Porto, a two-time varsity captain, was named the MVP of her high school team following her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. At Potomac High School, she was also a three-time MVP of the cross country team and played midfield on the soccer team. Porto led her squad to the 2002 Raleigh Shootout Championship and was named a first-team all-region member in 2003.
Daelyn Richards, who currently attends Lincoln High School in Portland, Ore., also signed with the UAB women's soccer team this week. She currently plays for F.C. Portland and earned the MVP award for Lincoln High School as a senior. Richards was also selected as a first-team all-district performer during her senior season.
Prior to 2003, Richards lived in Sugar Land, Texas, and attended Clements High School where she was named all-state, all-region and first-team all-district. She was named the MVP of both the Corpus Christi and Woodlands Tournaments and was selected as the 2001 offensive MVP.
Richards played for the South Texas State Champion Eclipse Soccer Club out of Houston, Texas, and was a teammate of current UAB defender Pam Cooney. In addition to being a member of the South Texas State Select Olympic Development team, Richards was also a member of the U. S. Soccer Region III Olympic Development team.
The UAB women's soccer team finished the 2003 campaign as the Conference USA regular-season champions and registered a school-record 13 victories. The Blazers concluded the season with an impressive 13-5-1 overall record and were ranked as high as eighth in the NSCAA Southeast Regional rankings.
2004 UAB Women's Soccer Signees
Name, Pos., Hometown (High School)
Ali Bolles, D, Atlantic Beach, Fla. (Fletcher HS)
Katie Henricks, D, Leeds, Ala. (Shades Valley HS)
Sally Palmer, F, Farmers Branch, Texas (Robert E. Lee HS)
Jillian Porto, MF, Woodbridge, Va. (Potomac HS)
Daelyn Richards, F, Portland, Ore. (Lincoln HS)
