HANNAH BENES LEGACY AWARD
LOVE-LOYALTY-LEADERSHIP
2023 Recipient – Emma Stowasser – CL South HS
Having the opportunity to compete at a high level is what gave me my love for volleyball. But my love goes far beyond just that. I love that I grew up with volleyball. It was something I could always count on to be there. I love the people volleyball has brought me, and I could not be more thankful for them. But honestly, above all, my love for volleyball has thrived on winning. Ending my career on such a memorable win streak reminded me why I love the game.
Staying loyal to Balance was an easy decision for me. Although I didn’t start playing at balance until I was 17, I felt such a strong sense of community and commitment from the coaches right away. I never missed an opportunity to tell my old teammates how much I loved Balance, and I even had the opportunity to play with some of them again. The people who make up balance made it that much easier to be loyal to the club.
Being a great leader to me goes so much further than just volleyball.
As I move past my volleyball career, there is so much I’ve learned about how to be a good leader on the court that I can use in my future endeavors off the court. A great leader is vocal, fearless, and leads by example. They aren’t afraid to mess up, they’re always putting in extra work, and they will do whatever is best for the team.