Van Niel AVCA Pacific Region Coach of the Year, Four Nab Region Honors

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the second season in a row, Sun Devil Volleyball has four AVCA Pacific All-Region honorees and head coach JJ Van Niel is the AVCA Pacific Region Coach of the Year, as announced by the AVCA on Tuesday. The four earning all-region nods are Geli Cyr, Claire Jeter, Mary Shroll and Argentina Ung, a second-straight region recognition for the latter three and a first for Cyr.  

After another successful season, Arizona State sees four all-region honors for the second-consecutive year. Jeter and Shroll are on the list again for ASU, while Ung gets her first as a Sun Devil, second in her career. Cyr ends her career with her first all-region honor. For Van Niel, he was the first head coach in program history to win AVCA Region Coach of the Year last season and now adds to his accolades this year with a second-straight honor.

For the complete list of AVCA All-Region honorees, head here.

The 2024 Big 12 Champions, Van Niel in his second season helped Arizona State finish the season with a 30-3 record, going 17-1 in Big 12 play. The Sun Devils, who earned a No. 3 seed and hosted the first two rounds, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the second-straight year doing so. The 30 wins are the most this century and one of the most all-time (31 in 1982). Additionally, ASU had 20 sweeps this year, tied with the program record. The Sun Devils went undefeated at home in the regular season for the first time since becoming an NCAA sport. 

Senior outside hitter Geli Cyr led the team in kills with 373 to wrap up her career with her most productive single-season output. Named to the All-Big 12 First Team, she notched double-digit kills in all but nine matches. She also had 10 double-doubles and was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on October 1. In career kills, she had 1,061, which is the 18th-most all-time at Arizona State. 

Graduate middle blocker Claire Jeter wrapped up her fourth and final season in Tempe on a high note. She earned 262 kills (third on the team) and 106 blocks (second on the team) to earn a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team. She was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on November 12 and was ranked in the top 10 in the nation all season for her hitting percentage, ending at .426. She totaled 379 block assists while at ASU, which is first in the Arizona State record book. 

On defense, graduate libero Mary Shroll led the charge all year, earning the title of Big 12 Libero of the Year, along with first team honors. She finished the year with 522 digs and had double-digit digs in all but two matches all season. She won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week three times and along with Cyr was named to the AVCA National Player of the Year Watchlist. 

Pacing the offense all season was graduate setter Argentina Ung, who was a grad transfer for Arizona State. The Big 12 Setter of the Year, Ung made an impact, helping ASU hit .272 on the year, top 20 in the nation for hitting percentage. Ung dished out 1,131 assists and surpassed 3,000 career assists this season. A force on defense as well, she has 14 double-doubles and was second on the team in digs with 291.