Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Shelby Santos, Carondelet High
Name: Shelby Santos
School: Carondelet High School
Grade: Senior
Sport: Volleyball
CONCORD, CA (Dec. 8, 2022) — Carondelet volleyball made it to the Northern California Division II playoffs this fall, and senior captain Santos played her part for the Cougars in her “second sport.” That’s a little bit of an exaggeration since Santos made her college commitment last month to UC Davis as part of the Aggies beach volleyball team.
On the court the middle blocker and opposite twice received all-East Bay Athletic League honors for Carondelet, which reached the semi-finals of the North Coast Section playoffs the past two years. In 2021 the Cougars were NorCal Division III champions and lost in the state championship match to Chino Hills. She says, “I love playing for Carondelet. I feel like I am playing for my community and the rest of my team.” Her Carondelet coach Jerry Mix says, “Shelby really stepped up as a leader on the varsity team this past season. She has such a positive personality and her ability to lead the team on and off the court is inspiring.”
On the beach, Concord resident Santos qualified for AAU and AVP Beach Nationals in Hermosa Beach last summer representing her club, Golden Gate Volleyball. Her team placed third at BVNE National in Santa Monica. “Playing at Golden Gate everyone playing always pushes each other to work harder and improve.” She says she chose the UC Davis beach volleyball program “because I love the school, the beach coach and all the girls on the team have been super welcoming.” She is interested in pursuing a business degree at Davis.
Santos is part of the social justice club and volleyball club at Carondelet. She is an AAU and Carondelet scholar athlete. Outside of school, she babysits, workouts “a lot” and loves spending time with her friends and family.
The Pioneer congratulates Shelby and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry.
Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@pioneerpublishers.com.
Jay Bedecarré
Jay Bedecarré is a long-time resident and writer in Concord and Clayton. He began his newspaper writing career while still a senior at Mt. Diablo High School and he has been part of The Pioneer since its inception in 2003. Jay also operates Bay Area Festivals, presenting events around the San Francisco Bay Area including Bay Area KidFest annually in Downtown Concord.