(Photo: Zac Pacleb/WCSN)
Collegiate athletic teams’ rosters, excluding basketball, are normally dominated by upperclassmen getting the majority of playing time and having the biggest impact.
More often than not, the seniors on the roster are the go-to players, captains and leaders on the floor.
But for the No. 22 Arizona State Sun Devils, their roster breaks down as follows:
Freshmen: 4; Sophomores: 3; Juniors: 5; Seniors: 1
One senior.
When Shannan McCready came to Tempe, volleyball was pretty much only thing familiar to the setter from Aiea, Hawaii.
“It was definitely a culture shock for me,” McCready said. “Besides that there was absolutely no beach and that my family wasn’t here – I’m a huge family person, everything I do is for my family when I’m home – so that took a lot of getting used to.”
Halfway through the 2011 season, McCready was the starting setter for a struggling team, and she dished out 689 assists for a Sun Devil team en route to a 9-22 record, one of the worst records at ASU over the past decade.
“2011 was not a great season for us,” ASU head coach Jason Watson said. “It was bad, and we learned a lot, but one of those things we learned was that Shannan was committed to being this wonderful team player, that she was committed to bettering her teammates.”
However, things turned around in 2012 as outside hitter Macey Gardner arrived and began to break every ASU attacking record, but that recruiting class also brought in setter Allison Palmer (who later transferred to Illinois in 2013) and McCready was relegated to a defensive specialist role.
“When Jason asked me to switch over to the back row, I was a little hesitant at first just because I wasn’t sure if I could do it up to par,” McCready said. “But right now, I’m happy with where I am, and I love playing defense so it all worked out for the better.”
McCready remained in that role in 2013 until starting setter Bianca Arellano went down with a high-ankle sprain against Colorado in the midst of a seven-match losing streak. As she had done many times, McCready stepped in and led the Sun Devils to big wins over Oregon and Oregon State to spark a late push that eventually led to a second-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
“For me, she’s been one of the most selfless and hardworking and wonderful athletes I’ve ever had to coach,” Watson said. “Her influence isn’t measured in the box score, it isn’t measured in the stats; it’s measured, I think, in the direction this program has gone since 2011.”
This season, McCready has fought through a bevy of injuries and generally stays in her role as a serving and defensive specialist, normally manning the right-back position in the back row. That being said, she remains a critical component to the Sun Devils.
“She can handle some things that most girls can’t,” Gardner said. “Literally, we’ve had practices where she runs over to our athletic trainer, she gets her shoulder popped back in, literally popped back in, and then she goes out there and she digs a ball.”
Against Washington State, McCready led the team with 18 digs in the critical five-set win in Pullman. Against No. 22 UCLA, she stepped in when ASU trailed the Bruins 11-13 in the fifth set and successfully served three consecutive points that propelled the Sun Devils to a win.
“There’s such a different feel on the team with her on the court,” Gardner said. “We’re so comfortable with her. We know when she’s dialed in, she’s ready, she’s been here for four years.”
ASU is a virtual lock in the tournament, and the win over UCLA provides the committee with a late-season statement over a quality team. Barring any crazy mishaps, ASU will be going to the tournament for the third consecutive year.
All things considered, three straight seasons ending in post-season play is a big accomplishment, and taking into account where the program was when McCready first arrived, that progress seems even greater.
“We’re going to miss the perspective she has from the ‘11 season until now,” Watson said. “She knows the importance of being a good teammate. She knows the importance of being able to work through some stuff.”
Every player on the ASU roster cites the chemistry on and off the court for the Sun Devils as something special, and that rings true for the way the rest of the Sun Devils look at McCready, and vice versa.
“The difference this year is that we all sincerely, genuinely, really love each other,” McCready said. “We have such a great bond, and I think it really carries out onto the court.”
When No. 14 Arizona comes to Tempe for the regular season finale, McCready will be taking the Wells Fargo Arena court for the final time.
“I never really expected, when I first got here, that I was going to be the only one left at the end,” McCready said.
Senior night is always an emotional roller coaster for all parties involved. Oregon head coach Jim Moore’s emotions were on display during the Ducks’ senior night, and that is to be expected in Wells Fargo Arena as well.
“Typically, I’m not that emotional of a person,” McCready said. “I always joke to my teammates about that. I almost never cry or anything, but my experience here has been so awesome that I definitely think with all my family there, I’m probably going to get a little choked up.”
The intangible impact she has on the team is clear. On the court, her fearlessness rubs off on her teammates and her play sparks the Sun Devils to victory. The match against Arizona will be the final guaranteed match for ASU, but her team will look to extend the 2014 season for as long as possible and fight for a few more opportunities for McCready to pull on the Sun Devil uniform.
“She’s one of the kids I wish she could stay forever. I really do,” Watson said.
You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com
