Steller an All-American

Jon Steller Named Second Team All-America
Steller becomes UCI's 10th All-American

April 28, 2008

Irvine, Calif. - UC Irvine men's volleyball player Jon Steller has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Second Team.

This is Steller's first All-American distinction and is the 10th UC Irvine player garner the award.

Steller will be honored along with the other All-Americans and the four NCAA Championship teams at a banquet Wednesday at the UCI Student Center. The Player of the Year will also be announced at the banquet.

This season, Steller averaged 3.35 kills and 1.04 digs overall. After becoming a starter, 12 matches into the season, the opposite averaged 4.56 kills, 1.41 digs and 5.15 points per game. He fired a team-high 38 service aces this year which ranks fifth in the UCI season record books. Steller had the third most service aces by an MPSF player and is ranked 18th nationally with a 0.34 ace average.

The junior pounded 20 or more kills six times this year, including a career-high 29 kills against Hawaii which was the seventh most by an Anteater in the rally scoring era. He was named Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week as well as MPSF Co-Player of the Week on Apr. 7 and MPSF Co-Player of the Week Feb. 11, 2008.

UC Irvine ended the season 16-15 overall and seventh in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with an 11-11 record. The Anteaters are ranked eighth in the country.

UC Irvine will host the 2008 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship May 1 and 3 at the Bren Events Center.

AVCA All-America First Team
Dan Alexander, Long Beach State, So., MB
Matt Anderson, Penn State, Jr., OH
Paul Carroll, Pepperdine, Jr., OPP
Russell Holmes, BYU, Sr., MB
Max Holt, Penn State, Jr., MB
Tony Ker, UCLA, Sr., L
Paul Lotman, Long Beach State, Sr., OH
Daniel Mathews, Ohio State, Sr., S
Eric Vance, Cal State Northridge, Jr., OH
Jonathan Winder, Pepperdine, Sr., S

AVCA All-America Second Team
Dean Bittner, Long Beach State, So., OPP
Dennis Del Valle, Penn State, Fr., L
Kyle Gramit, George Mason, Jr., OPP
Isaac Kneubuhl, Cal State Northridge, Sr., OH
Max Lipsitz, Penn State, So., MB
Cody Loe, Cal State Northridge, Fr., MB
Luke Murray, Penn State, Sr., S
Ivan Perez, BYU, Sr., OH
Kawika Shoji, Stanford, So., S
Jon Steller, UC Irvine, Jr., OPP