Hooker named Volleyball Honda Award nominee
Dec. 23, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas junior All-America outside hitter Destinee Hooker was named a nominee for the 2008-09 Volleyball Honda Award, becoming just the fourth player in program history to earn a nomination. Hooker headlined the Longhorns offense in 2008 leading UT to a 29-4 record, its second straight Big 12 Championship and its first trip to the NCAA Semifinals since 1995. The San Antonio, Texas, native garnered AVCA All-America First Team, AVCA All-Central Region First Team and All-Big 12 First Team honors in 2008. She also earned NCAA Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team honors after recording 23 kills, 21 digs and hitting .362 against Stanford in the NCAA Semifinals. Hooker's 4.89 points per-set paced the Big 12 Conference, while her 4.10 kills and 0.31 aces per-set ranked second and third, respectively. The junior hit .322 on the season, ranking seventh in the Big 12 and tops among all outside hitters. Now in its 33rd year, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program recognizes annually the top woman collegiate athlete in each of 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, each of whom receives the Honda Sports Award. In addition, each year a single athlete from the group of 12 Honda Sports Award winners is chosen as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and is presented with the Honda-Broderick Cup. Three Longhorns have previously been nominated for the volleyball honor with Katy Jameyson (1993-94) and Demetria Sance (1998-99) earning nominations and Sally Schlobohm (1981-82) winning the award. Kamie Ethridge (1985-86 women's basketball) and Jill Sterkel (1980-81 swimming) are the only two Texas athletes to win the Honda-Broderick Cup award for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. American Honda will donate $1,000 to the women's athletic fund of each nominee's university and the winner's program will receive $5,000.
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