NIU volleyball player Kristin Hoffman entered her senior season with the goal of helping her squad reach the NCAA Championships.

Not only did the setter help run her offense to the national tournament, but she achieved what no other NIU setter has ever done: being named MAC Setter of the Year.

Coming in as the #7 Northern Star Athlete of the Year, Hoffman had one of the most successful academic and athletic seasons a volleyball player has ever achieved at NIU.

“From a personal perspective, winning the Setter of the Year is just icing on the cake,” Hoffman said. “I worked hard here for four years. To be able to get Setter of the Year as a senior is one of the best accolades I could have received.”

Hoffman ran the Huskie offense, which ended the season as one of the best in the NCAA. Hoffman ran the offense to near-perfection throughout the season and NIU ended first in the country in kills/set (15.02) and seventh in hitting percentage (.279). Individually, Hoffman led the NCAA in assists/set with 12.27.

Her successful senior campaign ended with her being named First Team All-MAC and Third-Team All-American.

Hoffman’s academics earned her recognition as well. Earning a 3.97 GPA led to her being named a Capital One Academic All-American in a season in which she became only the third Huskie to notch 4,000 career assists.

“We did a lot of great things this year and reaching the tournament was a great way to end my career,” Hoffman said. “I consider myself very lucky to have such great teammates around me at NIU.”