Nico Santoro recently became the second John Carroll Volleyball Senior to be awarded with The Larry Hetzel Volleyball Leadership Award. He joins former John Carroll Patriot, Kyle Wedemeyer, who was the honoree in 2018.
“I was surprised when I received the email winning the award because I was not the only candidate deserving of it,” says Santoro. “I immediately told my family and my best friend Chris about it and they were very proud of me.”
Santoro has much to be proud about as he has set a great example for future seniors and left the volleyball program in possibly a better place than when he found it.
He hosted a volleyball clinic for middle school aged boys that are considering going to John Carroll. He wanted to expose them to the game before they were freshmen and talk to them about how it is a great way to make new friends.
“I am extremely honored to win this award. I hope to one day leave a legacy like Mr. Hetzel’s and winning this award is the step in the right direction,” says Santoro. “I am thankful for the people who have positively impacted my life. I want to give back just as Mr. Hetzel did.”
About the award: The Kutcher Foundation established a scholarship award to honor the leadership of Coach Hetzel who impacted many lives at John Carroll. Coach Hetzel had a true passion for volleyball, and as the coach at John Carroll he developed leaders both on and off of the court. The scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior on the men’s volleyball team whose leadership skills were greatly influenced by their experience with the volleyball program.
