UAA Athletics

Instigator and inspiration: Hooe is UAA Athlete of the Year

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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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