Suburban volleyball player turns digs into big donations for cancer research – NBC Chicago

Watch indoor volleyball and you’ll see a player diving all over the place to keep the point alive, and at Notre Dame College Prep’s suburb of Niles, that player is Caiden Frawley.

“If I wasn’t wearing pants, I’d show you my knees right now and how scraped and bruised they are,” Frawley says proudly.

This is the life of a libero, a defensive specialist and a quarterback on the field. Frawley is in his third season as the Dons’ starting libero, and head coach Peter Maniscalco considers him one of the best in the state, but not just because of his playing ability.

“(He) makes everyone better, cares about others, wants to see the best in others,” Maniscalco says. “He’s a born leader, and he always has been since day one.”

The senior has proven it all spring, but he’s willing to sacrifice cuts and bruises for a cause. Frawley came up with a heartwarming idea to honor his mare aunt — along with a few other community members — who recently died of cancer: a donation to the American Cancer Society for each of her digs.

“A dollar per search,” the 18-year-old said. “I feel like I can do pretty well in this area, as a libero and doing digs. I feel like I can do it, and a dollar seems like a good amount.

“Every time he has a problem on defense, the guys on the bench yell, ‘It’s a buck, it’s a buck,’ and that keeps them going,” Maniscalco said.

Maniscalco will match the final donation amount, and seven other community residents have agreed to do the same, including some rival coaches. This support is extremely meaningful to Frawley.

“Knowing that there are other people who will match my amount, and even people who donated an apartment, it means a lot to me to know that there are people who still want to be a part of of this cause,” says Frawley, who is attending Marquette University after graduation.

As the Dons’ season draws to a close, Frawley is up to 262 recoveries, each well worth the bruise or scrape that comes with it.

“If I can touch it, know in my mind that it could be one more dollar, it fills my heart a little more.”