Asjia O'Neal (born October 23, 1999) is an American volleyball player. She played college volleyball for the Texas Longhorns and won back-to-back NCAA championships in 2022 and 2023.
| Asjia O'Neal | |
|---|---|
 O'Neal in 2024 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 23, 1999 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| College / University | Texas (2018–2023) |
| Volleyball information | |
| Position | Middle blocker |
| Current club | Columbus Fury |
| Number | 7 |
Early life edit
O'Neal was born to National Basketball Association (NBA) player Jermaine O'Neal and his wife Mesha.[1] She practiced basketball with her father after fourth grade and took up volleyball in seventh grade in 2012 after moving from Miami to Dallas.[1] She played three years of varsity high school volleyball at Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, Texas.[2] As a high school sophomore, she committed to the University of Texas at Austin.[1][3]
O'Neal was born with a heart murmur and mitral valve leak, for which she underwent open-heart surgery at age 13 and again after her freshman season of college.[1][4][5]
College career edit
O'Neal redshirted her first year at Texas in 2018.[6] She averaged a hitting percentage of .413 to start her first season, while having a worsening mitral valve leak and a new tricuspid valve leak that required a second open-heart surgery in January 2020.[1][7] That summer, she helped organize campus activism to rename landmarks and build statues of former black students during the George Floyd protests.[1][6] She helped Texas reach the final of the 2020 NCAA tournament held in the spring of 2021.[6] She received the Honda Inspiration Award for the 2020 season.[1][8]
O'Neal helped the Longhorns win the 2022 NCAA championship alongside fellow first-team All-Americans Logan Eggleston and Zoe Fleck.[9][10] She averaged a career-high .443 hitting percentage that season.[11] She returned for a sixth year and led Texas to defend its title at the 2023 NCAA championship.[12]
Professional career edit
O'Neal was drafted first overall in the first Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) draft in December 2023.[13] In January 2024, she officially signed with the Columbus Fury.[14]
International career edit
O'Neal first played for the United States national team at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League.[9]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g Kumar, Aishwarya (December 3, 2021). "The extraordinary courage of NCAA volleyball star Asjia O'Neal". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ Riddle, Greg (July 31, 2017). "Texas pledge Asjia O'Neal, one of state's best volleyball players, won't play for Southlake Carroll as senior". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ "Southlake Carroll's Asjia O'Neal commits to Texas volleyball". WFAA. April 28, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ "Why Asjia O'Neal is ready to be the face of the Columbus Fury, Pro Volleyball Federation". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Mark (February 23, 2013). "Family struggle weighs on O'Neal". Boston Herald. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ a b c Davis, Danny (November 18, 2022). "From emulating Dennis Rodman to using her voice, Texas' O'Neal continues to be herself". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ Jones, Jeff (May 12, 2020). "Asjia O'Neal's journey back from multiple open-heart surgeries". KVUE. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ "UT's Asjia O'Neal Honored with Honda Inspiration Award". Big 12 Conference. June 22, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Rossow, Adam (July 26, 2023). "'Comfortable and confident': How Texas volleyball star Asjia O'Neal acclimated herself to Team USA". Dallas: Spectrum News. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ "2022 Women's DI All-Americans". American Volleyball Coaches Association. December 14, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ "Asjia O'Neal – Volleyball". University of Texas at Austin Athletics. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ Jones, Thomas (December 18, 2023). "Asjia O'Neal closed out her Texas volleyball career perfectly: an ace for the NCAA title". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
- ^ Jones, Thomas (December 16, 2023). "Texas' Asjia O'Neal will choose between Europe or America for her pro volleyball career". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ "Texas volleyball star Asjia O'Neal signs with Columbus Fury in new domestic league". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved February 17, 2024.