Senior outside hitter Hunter Fash gave serious thought about playing for “Lockport U.”
That’s the nickname coach Nick Mraz gave Edgewood after a trio of Porters — Antonio Fiordirosa, Drew Miller and Austin Williams — committed to the NCAA Division III school in Madison, Wisconsin.
Fash could have been the fourth if it wasn’t for that big university in Columbus, Ohio. Not only did he change his mind about his college choice, he decided against continuing his volleyball career.
“I was planning on going there but then I got accepted into my dream school — Ohio State,” Fash said about not suiting up instead for Edgewood. “I’ve always wanted to go there as a kid.
“I want to put my job ahead of volleyball. Hopefully, I can play club there.”
Fash, who plans on majoring in finance at Ohio State, is hoping for a big final season as the Porters have dramatically turned things around from a 15-20 record last spring.
A slight hiccup happened Tuesday night, but Fash still had five kills and four blocks during a 30-28, 25-22 SouthWest Suburban Conference loss to host Lincoln-Way Central in New Lenox.
Fash feels the Porters (16-5, 1-1) can still make some noise during his final competitive season.
The 6-foot-3 Fash had his eye on Ohio State at an early age. His father, Chris, is an Orland Park native and Lockport graduate who went on to star as a right-side hitter for the Buckeyes. He was named the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball Association’s player of the year in 2001.
While he won’t be playing for Ohio State, Hunter is glad he can follow in his father’s footsteps by heading to Columbus.
“I’ve always been visiting there since I was a kid,” he said. “I love going to football games and the campus energy. Everyone there is dedicated to their schoolwork. It’s hard to get into school there.
“Not everyone gets in. I like that. Luckily, I got in.”
Before heading to Columbus, Fash is looking forward to Lockport enjoying a big finish to the regular season and the playoffs. He calls the Porters a “powerful team.”
“We have the skill and the ability to overcome our challenges and become a great team,” Fash said. “We just have to pull some things together and cut out some bad habits.
“We’re an amazing team already.”
He pointed out there’s a big difference between this year’s team and the one that took the court in 2025.
“It’s our mindset,” he said. “We have way more experience. Last year, it was rough the entire season and we had some losses that we shouldn’t have had. A lot of players lost their motivation, and some people were goofing around.
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“This year, we are all locked in.”
Fash has gone through some ups and downs this season as well after missing a week with the flu. He had to work his way back into the starting lineup.
“He didn’t have a role, but he got an opportunity and since then he’s been holding his own,” Mraz said of Fash. “He’s doing well in receptions and taking risks from the service line.
“Obviously, he’s had plenty of nights where he did well offensively.”
Cornerstone recruit Ryan Beaumont confirmed Fash has played well since earning his spot.
“He can get a lot of solo blocks and you can see the aggressive swings that he takes,” Beaumont said of Fash. “He’s always aggressive and our team needs that energy.”
Since coming back, Fash has just been happy to contribute.
“Getting knocked out with the flu put me in a bad spot,” Fash said. “I knew I had to work harder than everyone else to get a spot out there.
“I put in the work in practice to try to be better than any competition.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.