If I were on the University of Texas volleyball team, I’d be looking to Destinee Hooker for any little pointers on how a national champion carries herself. I’d walk like her, talk like her, and convince myself that I could jump like her.
The idea is, consciously act like the person you want to be and, lo and behold, in time you will become that person. Let’s say you’ve been promoted to night manager at Whataburger. Secretly, you felt in over your head working the fryer. No matter. Just start putting on a performance of what you think an effective night manager is, and soon you’ll become one yourself. That’s the theory.
The important thing is that you pick your role model carefully. Fortunately, the women of the UT volleyball team needn’t look far. It’s been 20 years since UT has won a national championship in volleyball. Junior Hooker, however, has nabbed three more recently. The first came when she should have still been in high school. Graduating a semester early, she came to UT in January 2006, and less than two months later, won an NCAA indoor track-and-field team championship, placing third in the high jump. Three months after that, she won the NCAA outdoor high jump title, clearing 6 feet 2 inches, and the next year, she went an inch higher to win another.
So it’s no wonder she has such an infectious swagger on the volleyball court. Just being in her vicinity, watching her come swooping in for yet another soaring kill, stirs feelings of latent athleticism in these here aging bones. All really great athletes have that contagious power. They don’t simply put up great numbers; they evoke grace and strength in everyone around them.
Of course, it took a lot more than one player’s charismatic talent to get over the regional final hump and into the final four, where the Longhorns (29-3) will need to beat Stanford (30-3) to play either an undefeated Penn State or conference rival Nebraska (31-2) for the national title. No, you don’t see the same ease and fluency of last year’s squad, but freshman setter Michelle Kocher has ably stepped into All-American Michelle Moriarty‘s shoes. And though Juliann Faucette has had a sophomore slump, senior Lauren Paolini has blossomed in every way. Her already impressive 2007 stats are even more dazzling this year, leading the team with a .484 attack percentage. Just as important, she has had more presence, more authority than ever.
Still, the player I’m looking for to lead the Longhorns to a national championship is the one player who has already been there and done that. Hooker may not be as expressive in post-game press conferences as she is on the court. And that’s cool. That’s not what counts. But after surviving a tough match against UCLA in the round of 16, Hooker – who seemed stymied at times by the Bruins’ tenacious blocking, forcing others to step up instead – nailed what at this point in the quest it’s all about.
“Whatever works,” she said, and left it at that.
Texas faces Stanford in the semifinals, Thu., Dec. 18, 6pm, (broadcast on ESPNU) in Omaha, Neb. National Championship, 7pm, Sat., Dec. 20, on ESPN2.
This article appears in December 19 • 2008.