SENIORS
‘Driving’ the team to success Local man became honorary girls’ volleyball team member BY TOM SCHUMAN M
ARICOPA IS A LONG WAY FROM home for Lucius Ahaneku, a native of Biafra in eastern Nigeria.
A resident of the city since last summer, he makes what many would consider a long trip to Scottsdale on a regular basis as a bus driver for the athletic teams at Notre Dame Preparatory High School. But in his short time with the school, he has already made a lasting impression. Enough so the freshman volleyball team honored him at its end-of-season banquet. And while he has some important plans to help others around the Valley, he hopes to be part of the Notre Dame family for a long time. Anna Wazny, a freshman volleyball player, said Ahaneku was “just a positive light for the team” during its dominant 15-3 campaign this season. “He was different; you could see he was a great person,” she said. “He worked to do what was best for us. The girls all love him.” If the volleyball rolled away from the court, Ahaneku would run to grab it, Wazny shared. If the water bottles were knocked over, he picked them up. He carried the team’s cooler of food to the court. And he did it all with a smile on his face. “He talked on and on how grateful he was and how he loved being with us,” Wazny added. Ahaneku is quick to agree with that sentiment. “Those girls are amazing. They are so talented and so humble,” he contended. “I knew nothing about volleyball before I came to Notre Dame. These girls made me fall in love with volleyball. “Their humility led me to draw closer to them. I liked their team spirit. I kind of made myself part of the team. I was all out to support them in any way I could.” Ahaneku worked at a school district in Seattle, where he lived for five years before coming to Maricopa. He said when he saw
Lucius Ahaneku, a native of Biafra in eastern Nigeria and a resident of Maricopa, serves as a bus driver for athletic teams at Notre Dame Preparatory High School and was honored by one of the teams at its end-of-season banquet.
InMaricopa.com | February 2024
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