In her four seasons of UAA volleyball, setter Morgan Hooe served as both instigator and inspiration.
She orchestrated the offense — she is the Seawolves' all-time assists leader.
She elevated emotion — her fist-pumping fury ignited teammates.
And she helped the Seawolves win — a lot. UAA went 103-22 (.824 winning percentage) in her career and a staggering 61-6 (.910) during her last two seasons as the Seawolves won two straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference crowns and in December finished national runners-up in NCAA Division II.
Little wonder Hooe on Friday night was named UAA's Bill MacKay Athlete of the Year at the Seawolves' all-sports banquet.
Hooe became the third volleyball player to win Athlete of the Year, and first since setter Kalli Scott earned the honor in 2010. Hooe won in balloting by UAA staff, local media and members of the Benton Bay Athletic Lions Club, who made their pick from a field of 13 athletes, one from each Seawolves sport.
It was a pretty good couple of nights for Hooe. She collected the UAA honor the night after being honored with a Pride of Alaska Award at the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame's annual induction ceremony.
At Friday's UAA awards ceremony, she was also revealed as the volleyball team's Most Valuable Player and, for the third straight season, its Most Inspirational Player.
Hooe this past season sparked the Seawolves to a program-best 34-3 record. She was the GNAC and West Region Player of the Year and earned her second All-America award. And she and teammate Erin Braun became the first UAA volleyball players to compete in four consecutive NCAA tournaments.
Volleyball is the family business of sorts in the Hooe clan. Morgan grew up under the tutelage of father Virgil Hooe, a legendary Alaska high school and club coach who in his daughter's senior season served as the Seawolves' volunteer coach.
Morgan Hooe's grit and talent was never more obvious than in the West Region championship match in December at UAA's Alaska Airlines Center. Hooe early in the first set crumpled to the floor, felled by a knee injury, and was taken to the training room as a school-record crowd of 2,710 turned silent. The Seawolves lost that opening set to GNAC-rival Western Washington.
But Hooe returned to the floor, her knee taped and fitted in a brace, early in the second set. The crowd roared. And so did the Seawolves — with their instigator and inspiration back in the fold, they won the match in four sets.
UAA Bill MacKay Athletes of the Year
2017 — Morgan Hooe, Volleyball
2016 — Megan Mullings, women's basketball
2015 — Cody Thomas, Outdoor and Indoor Track and Field
2014 — Micah Chelimo, Cross-Country running, Outdoor and Indoor Track and Field
2013 — Micah Chelimo, Cross-Country running, Outdoor and Indoor Track and Field
2012 — Taylor Rohde, Basketball
2011 — Ruth Keino, Cross-Country running, Track and Field
2010 — Calli Scott, Volleyball
2009 — David Registe, Track and Field
2008 — Luke Cooper, Basketball
2007 — Rebecca Kielpinski, Basketball
2006 — Kemmy Burgess Basketball
2005 — Mandy Kaempf, Skiing, Cross-Country Running
2004 — Peter Bullock, Basketball
2003 — Tobias Schwoerer, Skiing, Cross-Country Running
2002 — Tobias Schwoerer, Skiing, Cross-Country Running
2001 — Ed Kirk, Basketball
2000 — Edda Mutter, Skiing
1999 — Jim Hajdukovich, Basketball
1998 — Zuzana Razusova, Skiing
1997 — Frode Lillefjell Skiing, Cross-Country Running
tie Elena Tkacheva, Gymnastics
1996 — Allegra Stoetzel, Basketball
1995 — Jason Kaiser, Basketball
tie Karen Hoey, Gymnastics
1994 — Kerry Robitaille, Gymnastics
1993 — Jennie Szczerbinski, Volleyball
1992 — Jon Pauole, Swimming
1991 — Paul Krake, Hockey
1990 — Teri Frankie, Gymnastics
1989 — Michael Johnson, Basketball
1988 — Robin Graul, Basketball
1987 — Hansi Gnad, Basketball
1986 — Teri Frankie, Gymnastics
1985 — Tiina Kantola Skiing, Cross-Country Running
UAA Team Awards
Women's Basketball
Most Inspirational — Alysha Devine
Most Improved — Tara Thompson
Captain's Award — Sierra Ofoa, Alysha Devine, Kiki Robertson.
Co-MVPs — Kiki Robertson, Autumnn Williams
Men's Basketball
Best Defensive Player — Connor Devine
Most Inspirational — Jackson McTier
Most Improved — Brian Pearson
Jim Hajdukovich Iron Man Award — Spencer Svejcar
Bob Zundel Rebounders Award — Diante Mitchell
MVP — Suki Wiggs
Gymnastics
Most Supportive — Sofie Riley
Most Inspirational — Sophie Riley, Kenda Daniels
Hardest Worker — Tere Alonso
MVP — Madeleine Arbuckle
Hockey
Leon Thompson Fan Favorite — Olivier Mantha
Pete McEnaney-Brian Kraft Most Inspirational — Matt Anholt
Mike Peluso Most Improved — Alex Jackstadt
Dean Larson Rookie of Year — Nolan Nicholas
Justin Johnson Corner Man — Mason Mitchell
Jeff Batters Defensive Player of Year — Jarrett Brown
Jack Peterson Student-Athlete Achievement — Dylan Hubbs
Humanitarian — Brad Duwe
Coaches' Award — Nils Rygaard
Craig Homan MVP — Olivier Mantha
Skiing
Women's MVP — Charley Field
Men's MVP — Tony Naciuk
Most Improved Alpine — Tony Naciuk
Most Improved Nordic — Casey Wright
Most Inspirational — Hailey Swirbel
Volleyball
Best Defensive Player — Taylor Noga
Most Inspirational — Morgan Hooe
Most Improved — Chrisalyn Johnson
Coaches' Award — Erin Braun
MVP — Morgan Hooe