Aidan Klein

Standing at a whopping 6’9”, Aidan Klein is built to be a volleyball player. The powerful middle blocker will be taking his talents next fall just five miles away from ETHS, at Loyola University Chicago. 

Klein’s recruiting process was a rollercoaster. In August of 2022, Klein unofficially committed to Harvard after they offered him a spot on the team. However, he still needed to be accepted into the school through their normal admissions– where he was denied just shortly after his commitment. 

“I didn’t really know 100% what was going to happen. I was pretty sure I would get in because the coaches wouldn’t offer you if they thought you wouldn’t get into the school,” said Klein. “It was a weird year but I’m super excited about the Loyola program.”

The proximity to home combined with the prestige of the Ramblers’ program is what drew Klein to the school. 

“It’s a great opportunity. I’m really looking forward to playing at a higher level and getting better with new teammates but also being able to come back to Evanston. Lots of [ETHS teammates] can come and watch, so it’ll be nice to be connected to both communities.”

In addition to being a three-year player on the ETHS varsity team, Klein plays for Mod Volleyball, a club team in Skokie. The highlight of his volleyball career (as of right now) is beating New Trier in Beardsley this season, for the first time in 15 years.

“Winning against New Trier was pretty awesome. The one thing I love about our team is how much we bond off the court and that really helps us play better on the court. That was really important against [New Trier],” Klein stated.

While he’s excited for the near future, Klein is looking forward to the possibility of furthering his volleyball career past college. 

“I’d love to try and play pro in Europe.”