Tempe-raised Mary Shroll leading hometown Sun Devils to new heights

(Photo: Spencer Barnes/WCSN)

13-year-old Mary Shroll knew she was going to play college volleyball. The determined youngster had fallen in love with the sport and was already sending emails to top NCAA coaches, hoping to catch their attention and start on the path to collegiate volleyball stardom. 

Fast forward to more than ten years later, and Shroll is now living out her teenage self’s dreams. Now in her sixth season of college volleyball, she is second in the Big 12 in digs and digs per set, 33rd in the country in digs per set, and just helped her team win its first conference championship in program history in its first year in the Big 12, earning Big 12 Libero of the Year in the process.

“It’s kind of a full circle moment for me,” Shroll said. “Being in front of the little girls on all the clubs and the high school teams, knowing that I used to be that little girl watching ASU in [Desert Financial Arena]… It just means so so much.”

Growing up with two older sisters, Mary was around volleyball long before she picked up the sport herself. Starting out with club volleyball, she played at East Valley Juniors Volleyball Club in Tempe. There, she learned the game and got a taste of the competitive Arizona volleyball landscape.

As she progressed through club volleyball, she eventually started playing for her high school, Tempe Prep, as well. She had the opportunity to play with her sister Taylor Shroll on the varsity team when she was a freshman, and Taylor was a senior.

“Playing with her sister in high school was just so much fun because they went to the same small high school,” Mary’s mom, Tifni Shroll, said. “They were big fish in a small pond, and it was just an incredible experience.”

At Tempe Prep, Mary played three years on the Varsity volleyball team, primarily as an outside hitter for the Knights. Midway through her junior year, she transferred to Corona del Sol, a larger school with a 6A volleyball program in Tempe. 

The switch offered her the chance to play against better teams in a more competitive division, which in turn helped her to keep a high level of play outside of club volleyball season. 

“She just needed a higher level of competition to help her prepare for college,” Corona del Sol head coach Ben Maxfield said. “She came in, she was just a natural leader, she didn’t step on any toes or whatever coming in halfway through her junior year, but she was just always super positive, brought lots of energy, and was very competitive. She always wanted to win.”

Mary was named as one of the co-captains of the team and helped to lead the squad to a 9-1 finish in the 6A- Central and a trip to the 6A State Championships. They eventually fell in the final round to Xavier Prep, which was led by future Arizona State standout setter Shannon Shields. 

Her work ethic and competitive nature stood out to Maxfield, who noted the ease with which she joined the team and worked to make it stronger. 

“She always came ready to practice, ready to compete,” Maxfield said. “She came every day wanting to get better.” 

Additionally, at East Valley Juniors, she was able to hone her skills and continue playing year-round, developing into the player she is today. Even then, as she is now, she was laser-focused on the sport and her own goals. 

Watching film and analyzing her own game became a part of the routine for Mary, and began to help her prepare for college even then.

“Mary would play club on the weekends, and all day, they’re playing in these tournaments that go all day long, eight, nine hours,” Mary’s dad, Scott Shroll, said. “And Mary would come home, go into our office, sit in the office chair, and watch all of the games again, a student of the game.”

Throughout her last few high school and club seasons, Mary began turning her attention to collegiate volleyball and began the process of finding her place in the vast volleyball landscape. Her goal was to play both indoor and beach volleyball, a goal that only a few places were willing to offer her. 

“She loved beach volleyball, and Sanja (Tomasevic) said that she couldn’t play beach for ASU,” Tifni said. “So that was something that kind of wore on her a little bit, but she ended up committing to ASU. But then, a day later, she decided she really, really wanted to go to Loyola Marymount.”

LMU head coach Aaron Mansfield had recruited her extensively when she was in high school and was excited about the prospect of the high-level libero joining his team. 

“She played on a really competitive club team in Arizona, and the first thing that stuck out to me was how competitive she was. She was really outwardly competitive, cheering on her teammates, going for the ball defensively, she was kind of doing anything that she could to not let the ball hit the ground.”

The private school located in Los Angeles won out for Mary, and she made her decision official, calling head coach Aaron Mansfield to tell him the news, switching her commitment from ASU to LMU overnight. 

The move was supposed to give her the opportunity to play beach volleyball as well, which was a big reason why she changed her mind.

“She told me that she was going to commit to Arizona State, and she called me the next morning and said, ‘I just couldn’t sleep,’” Mansfield said. “‘This decision didn’t feel right for me, so I’m actually going to come to LMU.’”

Mary thrived in Los Angeles, and after redshirting her freshman year, she played almost every match the next three seasons. She was named an All-West Coast Conference second team honoree for her accomplishments in the spring 2021 season. 

However, she did not end up playing beach volleyball, as the beach and indoor programs began splitting apart shortly after Mary joined. Additionally, Covid-19 impacted the programs as well, helping to drive that split even further.

At Loyola Marymount, she picked up 884 digs, 223 assists and 64 aces, leading her team in digs and digs per set multiple times. After finishing the 2022 season, Mary entered the transfer portal with two years of eligibility left. While in the transfer portal, she finished out her final semester at LMU, graduating in the spring of 2023. 

“She started considering Arizona State for a Masters,” Tifni said. “I was just trying not to show I was too overly excited because I wanted it to be all her decision and not doing it for us.”

When it came time to make a decision, Mary settled on Arizona State, returning back to her roots to finish out her collegiate volleyball career. The move not only catapulted her into one of the best conferences for college volleyball in the country, it allowed her to play volleyball at the highest level while also being close to her friends and family. 

“We were thrilled when she picked to come back to Arizona and get a really good master’s degree here and play for ASU,” Tifni said. “We bring 25 to 30 people every game or more, and we’re just so thrilled and so proud and really, really happy for her, for this whole career to come this far.”

Since coming to Arizona State, Mary has helped to shepherd the program into a new era of historic success and put her own name on the map. In 2023, under first-year head coach JJ Van Niel, Mary received an AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention and a Pac-12 Honorable Mention as the team reached the Sweet 16. 

She has also leveled up her skills with digging and passing since coming to Arizona State. In her first year, she totaled 458 digs in 121 sets. In 2024, she has already surpassed that number, sitting at 495, with 16 less sets played. Her passing efficiency has also gone up, something that both Mansfield and Van Niel have noticed. 

“I saw a lot of progress from Mary, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” Mansfield said. “She’s always been an explosive athlete. She’s digging a lot of balls outside of her body line, meaning she’s just getting really extended with her body. She’s flying around the court.”

Van Niel echoed that sentiment, pointing out that the areas where Mary has grown have really helped to push her to the next level. 

“This year, her passing has just gone to a whole new level,” Van Niel said.

Now, in 2024, Mary keeps racking up the accomplishments. She surpassed 1,500 career digs and has been named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week three times. She was just drafted to the Vegas Thrill in the Pro Volleyball Federation, becoming the first Sun Devil to be drafted to the league, and was just named the Big 12 Libero of the Year.

She was second in the Big 12 in digs and ranks 45th in the country in digs per set. Her production on the court has allowed the Sun Devils to run a strong offense. 

“She is the definition of someone you want on your team,” Van Niel said. “And I love that kid. I feel so grateful that I’ve gotten to coach her for two years. She’s a very, very special young woman.”

Mary also continues to be a leader on the court, and is part of the team’s leadership council for the second season in a row. Now, Mary and her team turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament. Arizona State finished the season with a 29-2 record, and went 17-1 in conference play. They ended the regular season ranked No. 8 in the country. Now, after earning the No. 3 seed, the Sun Devils will host the opening rounds in Tempe, and face off against New Hampshire in the first round, on Friday.

Following their Sweet 16 appearance last season, the Sun Devils look to make it even further this year. To do that, they will rely on Mary’s defensive production to continue running the back court and her voice to stand out in leading the team. 

For Mary, this weekend marks her last time playing in front of her hometown fans and playing in the arena she grew up going to games at. 

“I didn’t realize the sense of pride that it was going to give me just being back and playing in front of my hometown,” Mary said. “Playing in front of all the clubs I grew up playing for and against, and all the different coaches reaching out and having that familiar ground, knowing that so many people supported me and so many people had my back and were pushing for me to succeed. 

“It’s something I never expected, that I’d be back at ASU, but it’s something that has changed my volleyball career in so many ways.”

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