DALLAS — Asjia O’Neal has been thinking about Team USA since her first spike.

“I remember my first year playing. I told my uncle that I would love to play in the Olympics, Paris 2024,” O’Neal said.

She got her first taste this year, competing with the national team in the Volleyball Nations League tournament. She was one of the youngest players on the Team USA roster at just 23 years old. 

“The girls are insane and super high level,” O’Neal said. “The first few days, I had to adjust and get my feet wet a little bit.”

O’Neal was fresh off an All-American season at the University of Texas, which included a national championship. Getting acclimated to playing for the red, white and blue went smoother than expected.

“Everyone’s super positive and supportive of one another,” O’Neal said. “I think that’s a reason why I was able to come in and feel really comfortable and confident from the start.”

The step up in competition is like what her dad, Jermaine O’Neal, experienced when he went to the NBA straight from high school in 1996. 

“He’s been really helpful, just instilling that confidence in me,” O’Neal said. “Not thinking, ‘oh my gosh, I’m the youngest here. I’ve never played professionally, I’m still in school’. He’s really helped me get over that.”

Her mindset caught the attention of everyone with Team USA. 

“We threw her into the deep end of international volleyball and she never looked like she was close to drowning,” said Team USA coach Karch Kiraly. “She always kept her poise ... really just unfazed and steady and even.”

“Just her demeanor on and off the court. She carries herself very well,” said Team USA middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu. “Being in this position is obviously not easy, but I think she’s been really gracious, accepting help, and asking questions wherever she needs it.”

She’s soaking up advice from teammates like Ogbogu, who was also a standout at Texas before playing for the national team. 

“It’s the same level of expectations, just a different stage,” said Ogbogu, about playing for the Longhorns and Team USA. “Always in contention for a national title to a national team that’s always in contention for gold medals.”

Before O’Neal tries to achieve that Olympic goal in 2024, she’s got a repeat title with the Horns on her mind. 

“I think it’s gonna be a really cool experience having this high level, and then being able to bring it back to college and to my teammates and try to elevate our level of play there,” O’Neal said.