Graduate outside hitter Shania Cromartie transferred to ASU for a much-needed change of setting. Now in her final year, Cromartie has improved massively becoming a team starter and a key component to the Sun Devils' success.
Cromartie hit the ground running her first year in Tempe as a defensive specialist, but didn't see much time on the court. This year, hard work over the offseason has transformed Cromartie into the player head coach JJ Van Niel saw when recruiting her.
"This is a really amazing team, really amazing coaching staff so just being able to play and contribute has been really good," Cromartie said.
This season, Cromartie has recorded 112 kills, nine service assists, 79 digs and 12 total blocks so far. Arguably her most noteworthy accomplishments this season have been her five matches with double-digit kills, including her first double-digit kill game as a Sun Devil.
"She is amazing to play next to, she's my best friend and my roommate," said graduate libero Mary Shroll. "It's really good chemistry out there. I think we vibe off each other really well and feel what we need and what we don’t."
Cromartie said she looks to Shroll while playing because she reminds her to stay calm and play with passion. Meanwhile, Shroll has seen her roommate improve her hitting and jumping in her short time as a Sun Devil.
Cromartie said she grew up playing volleyball alongside her two sisters in Tallahassee, Florida, a hub for the sport indoors, outdoors and on grass. Cromartie always saw volleyball in her cards.
Before college, Cromartie played at Leon High School and led her team to the state championship to cap off four-straight state final-four appearances. She then started her college career at Mississippi State as an outside hitter for three seasons.
In 2021, she was named the SEC Player of the Week twice. While she was fortunate in Bulldog maroon and white, she chose to change to Sun Devil maroon and gold. Cromartie transferred to Tempe for a new start while seeking improvement on the court.
"I think I've developed into a much more natural player," Cromartie said. "I think the coaching staff along with the team is giving me a lot of confidence and really fine-tune a lot of technical things that I would say I struggled with at Mississippi State."
Earlier in her college career, Cromartie was far from perfect at serving, passing and blocking partially due to her being undersized as a pin or outside hitter. Last year, she was more of a defensive specialist and made it a goal to master her strengths as an outside hitter.
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"Coach JJ and the rest of our staff really focused on attacking a lot, because I used to play outside in the past," Cromartie said. "But just really focusing on different techniques and my approach in getting me confident for the front row."
Van Niel described her growth throughout the challenges of not having a full spring to play after transferring. Her waiting period led to a slower start last year forcing her to find her footing.
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"Last year she was a defensive specialist kind of on and off in the DS spot," Van Niel said. "This spring she just invested in everything and really was one of our best players. (We) got her vert up dramatically, really worked hard in the weight room."
All her dedication has seemed to pay off with another solid performance against TCU with eight kills and six digs to help the Sun Devils earn their first Big 12 win and fourth sweep in a row. Cromartie is seeking to finish her short but meaningful time at ASU on a good note.
"I want to continue to do double-digit kills because I know that'll help put us in a really good spot to be successful this season," Cromartie said. "So that's one of my big goals."
Edited by Jack Barron, Sophia Ramirez and Madeline Schmitke.
Reach the reporters at linunez@asu.edu and follow @laurentahuka on X.
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