Anteaters’ Steller earns top volleyball honors

UC Irvine junior Jon Steller has been named American Volleyball Coaches Assn. National Player of the Week in men’s volleyball as well as Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Player of the Week after averaging 6.0 kills, 1.3 digs, 1.4 blocks and 6.9 points per game in two wins last week.

Steller, a 6-foot-7 opposite, posted 27 kills and a career-high seven block assists in a four-game upset of No. 2-ranked Cal State Northridge at home on April 1.

He then led the Anteaters with 15 kills in a road sweep of UC Santa Barbara on Saturday.

Steller fired an ace against Northridge giving him 36 on the year. His 36 aces ranks fifth in the UCI season record book, 11 shy of Matt Webber’s record of 47 set in 2007.

It is Steller’s first national award. He becomes the 11th Anteater player to earn the distinction. It is his second MPSF honor, having also earned the accolade on Feb. 11.

Steller shared this week’s MPSF honor with USC’s Juan Figueroa.

The No. 7-ranked Anteaters (12-12, 8-9 in conference, tied for sixth place) visit Pacific Friday and are at No. 11-ranked Stanford Saturday to close out the regular season. The Anteaters have already clinched a berth in the eight-team MPSF postseason tournament.

— From staff reports