Over the past decade, Texas has been one of the most dominant volleyball programs in the nation.
The Longhorns have won two national championships, in 2012 and 2022, and have advanced to the semifinals five other times. They've won seven consecutive Big 12 titles.
Asjia O'Neal has been a driving force for Texas over the past six seasons. She's been one of the nation's best players as the Longhorns try to defend their national title in 2023, and she's one of the best to ever wear burnt orange.
O'Neal comes from a family that knows all about high-level competition, but her historic journey has been far from easy.
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Here's everything you need to know about Asjia O'Neal and her volleyball career.
Is Asjia O'Neal related to Jermaine O'Neal?
O'Neal is one of Jermaine O'Neal's two children. She has a younger brother, Jermaine Jr.
The former NBA player was a standout with the Pacers from 2000-08. During those years, he was a six-time All-Star, the most in Pacers history. Now 45 years old, he played his last NBA game in 2015.
To honor her father, the Longhorn wears No. 7, the same number Jermaine wore for most of his career.
Asjia O'Neal heart surgery
The Texas legend was told to quit volleyball prior to her first collegiate season.
O'Neal was born with a mitral valve leak, a condition where the valve between heart chambers is not closed fully, causing blood to leak. The first issue she had with the condition arose in 2013, not long after she began playing volleyball. The leak was worsening due to O'Neal's increased physical intensity, so she had to have open-heart surgery. A ring was placed around the valve to stop the leaking.
In 2019, O'Neal's condition worsened again, but this time doctors found a second leak in her tricuspid valve, prompting a second open-heart surgery on Jan. 14, 2020.
Asjia O'Neal age and college eligibility
Born Oct. 23, 1999, O'Neal is 24.
The 6-3 middle blocker committed to play at Texas as a sophomore in high school and moved to Austin in 2018 but redshirted her freshman season. Despite discovering her heart complications had worsened in 2019, she played out the season and appeared in 26 matches.
In 2020, when the Longhorns finished as national runners-up, O'Neal was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and her first of three consecutive first-team All-Big 12 accolades. Two seasons later, she led Texas to a national title, earning AVCA First-Team All-American. She was given the nod again this season.
O'Neal has made her mark on the Texas court. She holds the school record for total blocks with 594 ahead of the 2023 NCAA Tournament semifinals. In 2021, she was named the Honda Inspiration Award winner for her comeback after open-heart surgery.
Because of COVID-19 eligibility extensions, O'Neal was granted an additional year of NCAA eligibility in 2023, her final season as a Longhorn.
Asjia O'Neal Pro Volleyball Federation draft
While being known as one of the best college volleyball players this season, O'Neal made history in the professional world by becoming the first draft pick in the Pro Volleyball Federation. The PVF is one of two professional American volleyball leagues launching their inaugural seasons in 2024.
The middle blocker was the No. 1 selection, going to the Columbus Fury, a team partially owned by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. The Fury play their first official match against Grand Rapids on Jan. 25, 2024.
congrats to Jermaine O’Neal’s daughter, Asjia, on being drafted No. 1 overall in the Pro Volleyball Federation Draft 👏 pic.twitter.com/BeeYSuTLaG
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 12, 2023
There's no lack of experience against other pros for O'Neal.
She's a member of the US Women's National Team alongside Texas greats, and fellow middles, Brionne Butler and Chiaka Ogbogu.