Hooker attended Southwest High School in San Antonio, Texas, where she was a standout athlete in basketball, track and field, and volleyball.

[2][3] In track and field, Hooker won the NCAA outdoor high jump championship in 2006, 2007, and 2009.

Her first official tournament with the team was the 2010 World Grand Prix, where she helped the U.S. win the gold medal by averaging 4.76 points and 2.46 digs.

[1] In 2011, Hooker was named the Most Valuable Player of the FIVB World Grand Prix, as the Americans won the tournament again.

Hooker averaged 5.91 points and 5.13 kills in the FIVB World Cup to help the U.S. to the silver medal in that event.