Steinwedell Named New Assistant

Steinwedell Named New Assistant

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The GRU Augusta Volleyball program will welcome Faith Steinwedell for the 2013 season as the new full-time assistant coach, according to an announcement on Wednesday morning from GRU head coach Sharon Bonaventure.

A graduate from Mississippi State, Steinwedell played three seasons for the Bulldogs from 2008 to her shortened-junior year in 2010 due to an ongoing knee injury. After ACL surgery in 2010 she took a medical redshirt, but not before registering 32 kills, 17 assists, nine aces and 41 digs in only four matches. Steinwedell headed to California Baptist in 2012 to earn her MS in kinesiology for Sports Management and play one season for the Lancers – helping them to a 19-8 record. She started and played in 26 matches and sat fourth on the team in kills (217) and third for assists (64).

"I think Faith is going to be a great addition to the GRU Volleyball program," Bonaventure said. "She will have an interesting perspective having played at an SEC school and then one season at Cal Baptist University, which is a Division II university. I am looking forward to calling her a colleague and working side by side as we move into the new era of GRU Augusta Volleyball."

Steinwedell started in 20 of her 30 matches played her sophomore year in 2009 at MSU – establishing career bests in kills (137), digs (186), and total blocks (59). She shared the lead in service aces with 19, and ranked third with 59 blocks. In 2008, Steinwedell started in the first 21 matches before sustaining the first serious injury to her knee against Kentucky on Oct. 24.

One of four MSU volleyball rookies to earn SEC Freshman Academic Honors in 2008, Steinwedell was a President's Scholar with a 4.0 grade point average and went on to earn SEC Academic Honor Roll accolades for all three years as a Bulldog. In high school she was a two-time all-conference and all-league standout at Santa Fe Christian School in Solana Beach, Calif., and helped capture the state volleyball championships in both 2005 and 2007 and district titles from 2004 through 2007.

Born Faith Lynn Steinwedell on December 5, 1990 in Vista, Calif., she received her BS in Kinesiology for Sport Pedagogy from Mississippi State University in 2011 and her MS in Kinesiology for Sports Management from California Baptist University in Riverside, Calif., in 2012.