during her freshman year on the Shocker
squad as a setter, collecting numerous
awards, including being named Freshman
of the Year.
Mary Elizabeth Hooper’s friends at Plano Senior High School in
Plano, Texas, didn’t mince words. They told her she was crazy — “absolutely crazy,” to be exact — when she announced plans to graduate early and begin classes at Wichita State in spring 2008.
(It doesn’t require much imagination to envision a chorus of teenage girls lamenting one fact, in particular: “You’ll miss Prom!”)
Nonetheless, Hooper was willing to sacrifice, so she arrived at WSU in January and was thus able to participate with the Shocker volleyball team during spring practice.
“It was definitely a great help,” she says. “I got to know the team on and off the court immediately, got to know the coaches’ style. I don’t regret leaving high school early one bit.”
Surely, it’s no coincidence that, after the extra time spent with the team, Hooper, a setter, went on to have one of the best freshman seasons in the history of Shocker volleyball.
In fact, it was during a spring-break tournament that Hooper realized she could play — and even excel — at the Division I level.
In a six-team tourney in Houston, the Shockers squared off against Penn State, defending national champion Penn State.
“It was pretty terrifying,” she says with a laugh. “I was really nervous, but playing against them made me realize I could hang with it. From that moment on, everything seemed a lot easier.”
Consider Hooper’s accomplishments:
• She was named the Missouri Valley Conference’s Freshman of the Week five times.
• She was selected the MVC’s freshman of the year, and was a first-team all-conference pick.
• In January, she went national, earning Freshman of the Year honors from Collegiate Volleyball Update, becoming the first Shocker to be so recognized.
How to sum up her season?
“Um, amazing,” teammate Emily Stockman says. “I don’t think she could have gotten one more award. I’m pretty sure she got them all.”
The setter position was open with the graduation of Abby Harsh, a four-year starter and a two-time All-Valley pick.
The Shockers certainly knew early they had a more-than-capable replacement in Hooper after she posted 39 assists, six digs and two blocks in the season-opening victory against No. 10-ranked Cal Poly in the Sooner Invitational. She was named to the all-tourney team and selected the mvc Freshman of the Week.
Hooper’s athleticism was obvious, but Stockman was also impressed with how the freshman carried herself on the court. “She stepped in and was a leader right away,” Stockman reports. “I remember telling Lambo (coach Chris Lamb) that I was impressed with how vocal she was. She demanded so much, and I didn’t really expect that. She was demanding better passes and for us to swing — things a setter definitely has to do.
“And she can definitely take criticism. If you don’t like the set — if you tell her it’s too wide or too tight — she’ll fix it the next time.”
Hooper averaged 10.47 assists, 1.94 digs and 1.28 kills per set. She ran a balanced offense, evidenced by the fact that six players averaged 1.70 kills per set.
Even so, Hooper says she doesn’t enjoy talking about her personal accomplishments.
Instead, she focuses on WSU’s memorable performance as a team: The Shockers became the first team in school history to finish the regular season unbeaten (29-0 overall, 18-0 in MVC); reached 30 wins for the first time; and beat Rice in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
“It was definitely unbelievable,” she says. “I guess you could say it was a dream season.”
And here’s the topper: Hooper returned home late in the semester.
For prom.
