Allstate Westfield Athlete of the Week: Benjamin Bukiet-Beker

WESTFIELD, NJ — Recognized for his resourcefulness utilizing numerous skills in the sport, this core member of the Westfield High School boys volleyball team is credited for getting the team off to an impressive 11-3 record more than halfway through the season. Senior Benjamin Bukiet-Beker is this week’s Andy Heinz and The Westfield Legacy Agency’s Allstate Westfield Athlete of the Week.The Blue Devil got his start in the sport while in middle school. “I started on the eighth-grade team, really more for fundamentals and learning the rotations and the gameplay,” Bukiet-Beker said. “Then the year after that, I joined Warren Sixpack, a top club in the Northeast and in the country. My first year we placed 21st in the country, and every year after that up to now we have consistently been in the top 20 in the USA.”“Club volleyball is where most of my development has been made, as I play with some of the best players in the tristate area, many of whom are going Division 1 or Division 3” in college, he said. “The high school season has also provided me with a lot of repetitions with solid players under the guidance of Coach Ed Saggio, who has definitely helped shape me into the player I am today.”Saggio, head coach of the WHS boys volleyball team, expressed gratitude for Bukiet-Beker’s performance, noting that “his volleyball IQ is off the charts.”The senior “is leading the team in passing, hitting and digging,” Saggio said. “His play has contributed to us getting off to an 11-3 start with our first win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in program history.”During his time playing for the Blue Devils, Bukiet-Beker has always kept self-improvement top of mind. “I approach volleyball the same way I approach any sport I do or did, whether it be basketball, skiing or volleyball: I love getting better and competing above all else,” he said. “Having fun is always good, but the most fun aspect to me is winning, and seeing my own improvement over time.”“Fun is knowing I got better and I can now help beat this team or that one,” Bukiet-Beker added. “So I definitely approach volleyball in the most competitive way possible, with the goal of winning always in mind.”The team’s hard work is paying off.“The key points to this season so far have been starting out extremely strong, off to a 9-1 start at one point. We didn’t play down to anyone’s level, and we have been very consistent from the start, a testament to our work and experience playing volleyball for so long now,” he said. “Over the years we have built a great chemistry and consistency, and it is really showing this season.”“Obviously, the single key point was beating Scotch Plains-Fanwood for the first time in program history, which was huge,” Bukiet-Beker reflected. “It helped us get momentum for this great run we have been on, and our goal is to repeat the same thing this Friday at Scotch Plains-Fanwood.”The senior anticipates a different volleyball environment when he leaves for college.“I will be going to Università Bocconi in Milan, Italy, next year to pursue a bachelor’s in International Economics and Management. Although sports don’t work the same in Europe as they do in the states, with there not being any Division 1, 2, 3, etc., there are leagues with the schools, which are semi-pro or amateur,” he noted. “I will not be playing competitively, but I will continue playing for fun and to stay active, so I am going to play on the school team, which is fourth division Italian volleyball.” During his high school career, working to help his team be its best has been key.“What I enjoy most is the winning and improving aspect. Beating long-time rivals like Scotch Plains-Fanwood is one of those great feelings that stays with you for a while. It’s been years in the works, not only the four years of my varsity career, but also another five years of program history before that,” Bukiet-Beker reflected. “Being a part of the team to be able to accomplish this is really special.”When not on the volleyball court, the senior prizes staying active and spending time with friends.“School up to this year has really taken a lot of my time studying and doing homework, but in the winter I spend my time skiing in Canada or upstate New York, which I have been doing since I’ve been able to walk,” he said. “When I am not traveling with my club team or playing every day with high school, I am with friends, watching movies or playing pickup basketball.”