Until very recently, Asjia O’Neal was the mightiest mainstay of the Texas Longhorns Women’s Volleyball lineup. Daughter to NBA legend Jermaine Lee O’Neal Sr, she played the middle blocker position for the Longhorns before getting drafted into the Pro Volleyball Federation in December 2023. But this was not before Asjia O’Neal had won back-to-back accolades in her NCAA stint. A recent occasion sparked nostalgia for Asjia O’Neal as she reflected on her time in Texas, cherishing the friendships she had formed with her teammates.

The Texas Longhorns served a hot platter on the court for their Nebraskan opponents at Amalie Arena during the final game of the National Championships. Despite being the top-seeded team, the Cornhuskers could not compete against the incredible coordination of the Texan team. Now, Asjia O’Neal has highlighted the team’s secret weapon that forged their saga of excellence on the court.

Friendship surges behind Texas Longhorns’ volleyball dominance

Asjia O’Neal shared an IG story on the special occasion of her former teammate Logan Eggleston winning the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year moniker. Their mutual love and friendship mandated such a show of adoration and celebration from O’Neal. She shared the NCAA’s official communique, where Logan Eggleston gleamed in joy as the recipient of the prestigious award. Notably, O’Neal captioned the snap with a heartfelt note that said, “My best friend is HER!!” The emphatic capitalization at the end of the sentence revealed the true estimate of her feelings towards Logan Eggleston. However, she was not done articulating her joy and pride for her dear buddy’s accomplishments.

In an earnest post-script at the bottom of the picture, Asjia O’Neal proceeded to connote the magnitude of her feelings for Eggleston. She wrote, “So proud of you!! So so deserving”. While Asjia O’Neal decided to bestow laurels upon her friend, her volleyball journey with the Texas Longhorns is equally praiseworthy.

Asjia O’Neal’s incredible volleyball journey with the Texas Longhorns

Asjia O’Neal scored the final point of the night against the Cornhuskers during the National Championships finale. The Texas Longhorns standout finished the season with a career-high five service aces. O’Neal’s loyalty to the University and her teammates came through during the 2020 NCAA season when she overlooked her survival to carry the Longhorns’ hopes.

Read More: The Untold Story of Texas Longhorns Volleyball Star Asjia O’Neal; Tragic Yet Beautiful?

In 2019, Asjia O’Neal’s congenital heart condition relapsed, causing her to take a small break from training. The doctors advised her to announce her retirement from volleyball, but the Texas Longhorns middle blocker was not ready to leave her teammates in the lurch. After an open-heart surgery in 2020 and months of rehab, the legend was back on the court.

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