Destinee Hooker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Destinee Hooker
Personal information
Full name	Destinee Dante Hooker
Nationality	American
Born	(1987-09-07) September 7, 1987 (age 37) Frankfurt, Germany
Hometown	San Antonio, Texas, United States
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Volleyball information
Position	Opposite
Current club	San Juaneras de la Capital
Number	19 (national team)
Career
Years Teams 2006–2009 2010 2010 2010–2011 2011–2012 2012–2013 2014 2014–2015 2016 2016–2018 2018–2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 University of Texas GS Caltex Seoul KIXX Pinkin de Corozal Scavolini Pesaro Osasco Voleibol Clube Dinamo Krasnodar Criollas de Caguas Hwaseong IBK Altos Tianjin Bridgestone Camponesa Minas Osasco Voleibol Clube Tianjin Bohai Bank San Juaneras de la Capital
National team
2008–2012  USA
Medal record Women's volleyball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Silver 2012 London Team FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup Silver 2011 Japan Team FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix Gold 2010 Ningbo Team Gold 2011 Macau Team NORCECA Championship Gold 2011 Caguas {{{2}}}

Destinee Dante Hooker (born September 7, 1987) is an amazing American athlete. She is best known as a professional indoor volleyball player. Standing tall at 6 feet 4 inches, she plays as an "opposite attacker," which is a key position in volleyball. Destinee was also a very important member of the United States women's national volleyball team. Before becoming a pro, she was a star in both volleyball and track and field at the University of Texas.

Destinee Hooker's Sports Journey

Destinee Hooker has had an incredible career in sports. She showed her talent from a young age. She excelled in many different sports.

High School Sports Star

Destinee went to Southwest High School in San Antonio, Texas. She was an amazing athlete there. She played basketball, did track and field, and played volleyball. In her junior and senior years, she was an all-state volleyball player. This means she was one of the best in the state. She also won the Texas state championship in the high jump in both 2004 and 2005.

College Achievements at Texas

Destinee played for the University of Texas volleyball team from 2006 to 2009. In 2007, she was named to the AVCA All-American second team. This award recognizes top college volleyball players. She then made the first team in 2008 and 2009.

In 2009, she was named the Big 12 Player of the Year. She also earned the Most Outstanding Player award at the NCAA Division I volleyball championship. Her team, Texas, reached the finals but lost to Penn State. Destinee was also a finalist for the Honda Sports Award in volleyball twice. This award goes to the best female college athletes.

Track and Field Success

Destinee was also a champion in track and field. She won the NCAA outdoor high jump championship three times. She won in 2006, 2007, and 2009. She also won the NCAA indoor high jump championship in 2009. Her winning jump of 6 feet 6 inches broke the indoor collegiate record. Overall, she won four NCAA high jump championships.

Playing for Team USA

Destinee joined the U.S. women's national volleyball team in January 2008. Her first big tournament with the team was the 2010 World Grand Prix. She helped the U.S. team win the gold medal. She scored many points and made many digs in that tournament. She was also one of the top scorers at the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship that year.

In 2011, Destinee was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the FIVB World Grand Prix. The American team won the tournament again. She was also named the "Best Spiker" in the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup. This means she was excellent at hitting the ball for points. She helped the U.S. team win a silver medal in that event.

Olympic Medalist

Destinee played in the first six matches of the 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix. The U.S. team eventually won this tournament. Then, Destinee won a silver medal with the U.S. team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the second-highest scorer in that Olympic tournament. She also won the "Best Spiker" award there.

About Destinee's Life

Destinee Hooker was born in Frankfurt, Germany. She now lives in San Antonio, Texas. Her sister, Marshevet Hooker, is also a talented athlete. Marshevet is a track and field athlete who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Awards and Honors

Destinee Hooker has received many awards throughout her career.

Individual Awards

• 2011 World Grand Prix "Most Valuable Player" (MVP)
• 2011 World Cup "Best Spiker"
• 2012 Summer Olympics "Best Spiker"
• 2016/17 Brazilian Superliga "Best Spiker"

Club Team Awards

• 2011–12 Superliga - Champion, with Sollys/Nestlé (Osasco)
• 2012–13 CEV Women's Challenge Cup - Champion, with Dinamo Krasnodar

College Awards

• 2008, 2009 AVCA All-America first team
• 2007 AVCA All-America second team
• 2009 Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Division I Tournament
• 2008, 2009 NCAA Championship All-Tournament team
• 2008–09 Big 12 Conference Female Athlete of the Year
• 2008–09 Finalist for Honda Sports Award (volleyball)
• 2009–10 Finalist for Honda Sports Award (volleyball)
• 2009 Big 12 Player of the Year