(Tempe, AZ) The recognition keeps coming for Sun Devil Volleyball’s historic season as head coach JJ Van Niel was named AVCA Pacific South Region Coach of the Year, the first in program history, with Claire Jeter, Marta Levinska, Shannon Shields and Mary Shroll being named to the AVCA Pacific South All-Region.
This is the first time in program history that an Arizona State head coach has won region coach of the year. Additionally, ASU has never had more than one player on the all-region team, with these honors being the first since Whitney Follette in 2015. These four being honored doubled the number of Sun Devil all-region awards prior to this season. There were only three all-region honorees in Sun Devil history.
For the player awards, this is the first time that all four players have received an all-region nod. Levinska has accumulated a variety of different postseason awards, adding this one to her arsenal of accolades after being on the All-Pac-12 Team. Jeter, Shields and Shroll add the All-Region to their Pac-12 Honorable Mentions from last week.
For the complete list of AVCA region honorees, head to their website.
JJ Van Niel has made history in his first season as a head coach by leading Arizona State to an incredible turnaround to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 and winning two matches for the first time in Sun Devil history. The Sun Devils have extended their record to 28-6, which is the best record this century at ASU and the second-highest win total in program history. This was the 11th season that the program has reached 20 wins. Additionally, Arizona State had a 14-6 Pac-12 record, which is the most conference wins in team history. The Sun Devils finished in a tie for third in the Pac-12, the best conference finish since tying for second in 1993.
The team started the season strong, finishing non-conference undefeated and going 14-0 to start the year, which is the best start by a new head coach in the NCAA era. In the rankings, the squad has been in the top 25 in the AVCA Coaches Poll every week since September 25. The Sun Devils had two-top five sweeps over Stanford (home) and Oregon (away). The win over the Cardinal was just the second time ever that the Sun Devils swept them. This was just the second time in ASU history beating two top-five teams, but it’s the first time with two top-five sweeps. Speaking of sweeps, the Sun Devils has had 20 three-set wins on the year, which is the most in program history.
Photo – ASU Volleyball on X
Senior opposite Marta Levinska has led the team on offense this year with her best season in her career. She is top 10 in the nation in kills, kills per set, points and points per set. She was on the All-Pac-12 Team for her first time and has earned four Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week awards, the most in a single season in ASU history. She also was the AVCA National Player of the Week on October 31 following the win over Stanford. In all but two matches, she’s had double-digit kills and she has had 20 or more kills nine times. In the ASU record book, she is currently in sixth for career kills with 1,570, and she is in fifth for kills in a single season with 554. For aces, she cracked into the top 10 after this last weekend with 106. In the second round win over BYU, she hit .533 to set a new ASU record for hitting percentage in a single NCAA Tournament match.
Pacing the offense all year has been graduate Shannon Shields, who also has had the most productive year of her career to go out on a high note. She has been the primary setter all season, notching 40-plus assists nine times and 50-plus twice. Additionally, she has had nine double-doubles. Earlier this season, she surpassed 2,000 career assists.
In the middle, senior Claire Jeter has been holding down the defense at the net. Jeter leads the team in blocks with 124, the most she’s had in a single season. She is close to 200 kills on the year with 191. She is also second on the team in aces with 42.
The starting libero all season has been graduate Mary Shroll, who leads the team in digs with 428. Adding to her overall total, she collected an additional 16 digs this past weekend. She also is second on the team in aces with 42. This season, she surpassed two impressive career milestones by surpassing 1,000 career digs and 100 career aces.
The Sun Devils are continuing their sweet season as they successfully swept both Georgia and No. 4 BYU this past weekend to move forward in the NCAA Tournament. This is the third time in program history that ASU has made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament but is the first time the team has won two matches.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Kimberlie Haner
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