Notre Dame Green Pond High School Football Player and Southern Lehigh High School Volleyball Player Named Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute Athletes of the Year

The final countdown to Athlete of the Year is here and the news is out. 

Notre Dame Green Pond’s Christian Rivituso and Southern Lehigh’s Alexis Hoyer were each named Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute’s 2025 Athlete of the Year.

The student-athletes were surprised with the exciting news at their schools. Family, friends, coaches and teammates gathered to celebrate and congratulate them on their big win as Athlete of the Year.

Both Rivituso and Hoyer have impressive track records as dual athletes and a passion for serving their communities. Each was awarded a $10,000 scholarship based upon their athletic accomplishments, community involvement and academic excellence.

As the team’s linebacker for Notre Dame Green Pond High School, it’s Rivituso’s commitment to hard work and leadership that stands out the most to his teammates and coaches. He was nominated Athlete of the Week for his 13 tackles in a 52 to 0 win over Palmerton High School. He also leads the Colonial League in number of tackles with 116.

When Rivituso is not playing football or baseball, he’s connecting and building relationships with his community. In the Miracle League, he helped children and young adults with disabilities hit the ball, run bases and, best of all, bring smiles to their faces. He also volunteered with Backpack for Kids and at the Township of Bethlehem Homeless Shelter helping those in need.

That same devotion continued with his academics. Rivituso was part of National Honor Society and held the role of fundraising chairman. This fall, Rivituso will be attending Eastern University where he will play baseball while majoring in biology and pursuing the pre-physician assistant (pre-PA) track.

As captain of Southern Lehigh High School Girls Volleyball team, Hoyer’s sportsmanship and leadership shines every time she steps out on the court. Hoyer’s 14 kills and seven digs helped her team score a win over Allentown Central Catholic High School in the District 11 Class 3A girls’ volleyball championship match. That athletic achievement landed her the nomination for Athlete of the Week.

Off the court, it’s Hoyer’s heart for families battling with cancer that resonates with her community. She served as president of Southern Lehigh’s Mini-THON and helped raise over $27,000 for Four Diamonds, an organization that supports treatment and care of pediatric cancer patients. Hoyer and her teammates also organized their annual Pink Out Event, which raised funds for cancer research, treatment development and gifting toys to children in hospitals.  

Hoyer was part of the National Honor Society and on the Principal’s List. This fall, she will be attending Rowan University where she will play volleyball while pursuing a degree in athletic training with a minor in education.  

Athlete of the Year is the grand finale to The Morning Call’s Athlete of the Week program, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute. The 35-week program gives the community an opportunity to vote for three male and three female student-athletes weekly. Each weekly male and female winner receives a $500 scholarship. This year, there were 70 winners total.

Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute Athlete of the Year is the region’s largest scholarship program for student-athletes. The program has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships to more than 500 area student-athletes since it began in 2013.

“One of the many ways in which we partner with our community is through the Athlete of the Week recognition, culminating in the Athlete of the Year awards,” says Thomas Graham, MD, Chief of Jefferson Orthopedics and Physician in Chief of Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute. “The entire Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute team congratulates these student-athletes on their outstanding accomplishments. We’re proud to contribute to their success on and off the field.”