WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) — West Seneca is a hotbed for good volleyball players, most notably 4-time Olympian Matt Anderson. Now, you can add Ethan Skalski to the list. West Seneca East boy's volleyball coach Dave Kutina noticed Skalski at an open gym when he was in 8th grade. He knew then that he had a special player on his hands. "His work ethic," said Kutina. "His attitude. He cares about other people. He's an excellent leader. His leadership skills are unmatched." The West Seneca East senior is the first student athlete in the town to record 1,000 career kills. "That is insane to me because I know so many good volleyball players from here at [West Seneca]," said Skalski. "All of them are my best friends, I love them so much. It's an honor to be able to be the first." Skalski is an elite volleyball player, but he may be an even better student. The senior has a 4.0 GPA and is also 14th in his class. He says he wants to pursue aerospace engineering in college. "Ever since I was younger I wanted to do stuff with my hands," he said. "I wanted to work on stuff, think things out. Puzzles are great. I've always been interested in rockets and flying stuff. I put two and two together and I found aerospace, aeronautical engineering." From the toddler who used to get babysat by Matt Anderson's mom, to looking up to West Seneca East grad and Penn State Nittany Lion, Cole Ignaszak as an 8th grader. "Big influence," said Skalski. "He was flying in the sky." Now, he can comfortably put his resume right next to the greats that have come before him. Latest Local News East Aurora restaurant temporarily closed after worker was hit and killed by a train Bills fan warns others about online ticket hackers Western New York residents enjoy warm weather for trick-or-treating More questions arise as residents move out of Amherst nursing home Chautauqua County man gets 7 years for burglary charges