• Slug: Sports–ASU Volleyball Streak, 900 words.
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By Jalen Weathers
Cronkite News

TEMPE – The Arizona State women’s volleyball team is off to a strong 11-1 start this season. Ranked No. 14, the team’s only loss was to Nebraska, which jumped from No. 5 to No. 2 in the national rankings this week.

Other than that blip, the Sun Devils have been dominating, sweeping eight of their 12 opponents.

A vital part of ASU’s success is libero Mary Shroll.

“Mary’s definitely one of our leaders,” said ASU assistant coach Shaughn McDonald. “She not only has a good personality to be around but leads by example. There’s not a single ball that’s going down in our gym even remotely close to her that she is not hitting the ground for, at the very least.”

Shroll was recognized for her hot start to the season, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 17. She has been a consummate defender for the Sun Devils, averaging a conference-best 4.9 digs per set and even picked up her 1,500th career dig this season while nationally ranking in the top 20 in digs and digs per set.

Incorporating a new mentality of emphasizing the serve and pass, the Sun Devils currently rank third in the nation for aces per set, thanks in part to Shroll. The reigning Pac-12 Honorable Mention winner has double-digit kills in 24 of her last 25 matches. Off the court, she has served on the leadership council in back-to-back years.

“Mary’s a rock,” coach JJ Van Niel said. “She’s in our leadership group. She’s a leader on and off the court. I love her consistency and her ability to remain pretty calm.”

Being the libero, Shroll prioritizes vocal leadership and takes control of the backcourt.

“That’s something that I try to bring into every practice and every game,” Shroll said. “Locking in on defense and serve-receive is extremely important, especially with the kind of tempo that we push. It’s really fast, so serve-receive is extremely important just to have that first ball and really focus on kind of a first-ball kill.”

Shroll, who’s in her final collegiate season and second as a Sun Devil, came to ASU as a grad transfer from Loyola Marymount, but ASU isn’t just any school to her. Shroll is a native Arizonan and a graduate of Corona del Sol High School in Tempe.

“It’s fun being home,” Shroll said. “Obviously, it was nice to kind of getaway in my undergrad, but it’s been really cool to see a different side of Tempe. It’s much easier for my family to come to games. My parents are at every single game, and they bring a big fan section.”

The Tempe product has been a significant part of camps to get more local products to come to ASU. Last weekend, ASU had schools out from across the valley during their home tournament, the Webb-Burbridge Classic.

“It gives me a sense of pride being at ASU in front of my hometown and seeing all the young athletes that look up to us, knowing that I was one of those girls kind of looking at these ASU players.”

Shroll started her volleyball career early, playing as a 4-year-old when her family got her involved at a young age due to their involvement in the sport. Shroll’s mother, Tifni, coached and played at Northern Arizona, and her two older sisters also played college volleyball, Kaitlin at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott and Taylor at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

“Growing up, especially playing with my sisters, I’d always be super competitive,” Shroll said. “They really pushed me to be my best and supported me through anything that I’ve wanted to do. So without them, I wouldn’t be here.”

Shroll – who started her high school career at Tempe Prep, a 2A program – was also a team MVP, 2A Conference Player of the Year and made All-Conference First Team during her 2017 season. Halfway through her junior year, she joined coach Ben Maxfield and the Corona del Sol Aztecs to play better competition.

As a senior, she helped lead her team to the 6A championship. In all, she was a four-year letter winner and a captain of her high school teams in three of her four seasons.

“She was a great transfer for us,” Maxfield said. “She was able to swing for us outside, so she was able to rack up tons of kills. She just brought a lot of athleticism, and because she played at such a high level in club, she was used to those big-time situations.”

During Shroll’s time with the Aztecs, she was named 2018 team MVP, Central Division First Team and won the Tempe All-City Sports Award while leading the Aztecs in kills per set and serving aces and finishing second in digs per set and third for overall hitting percentage. Shroll was also one of the school’s top beach volleyball players, going undefeated with her teammate Mady Noble until falling in the state semifinals.

As Shroll enters her last college season, she and the Sun Devils have left the defunct Pac-12 Conference for the Big 12, where they’re facing unfamiliar opponents. Their next match is Wednesday against Big 12 foe Texas Christian University, ranked No.22.

While Shroll and the Sun Devils may be in a different conference, their goal remains.

“We’re definitely aiming to go far in this year’s tournament again,” Shroll said. “And honestly, considering this is my last year, I would love to win a Big 12 championship.”

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