Anteaters’ Steller among All-American honorees

UC Irvine junior Jon Steller, a 6-foot-7 opposite who led the Anteaters in kills this season, has been named third-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn.

Steller, a third-team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation selection, averaged 3.36 kills per game while posting a .312 hitting percentage in his first season as a full-time starter. He became a starter 12 matches into the season, averaging 4.56 kills, 1.41 digs and 5.15 points per game from that point.

He fired a team-high 38 service aces this year which ranks fifth in the UCI season record books.

With Steller’s emergence as a go-to hitter, UCI advanced to the quarterfinals of the MPSF Tournament, finishing with a 15-13 record.

The reigning NCAA champions were 11-10 in conference matches.

— From staff reports