Hoffman Awarded Gamer of the Week Honors
Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald are pleased to present this week’s Female Gamer of the Week to Junior, Zoey Hoffman of the Buffalo High School volleyball team.
Buffalo volleyball is having a tremendous 2023 season sitting at 38-4-4 on the season. Junior setter #18 Zoey Hoffman currently has 670 career digs, and 360 digs this season. Hoffman also has 2,157 career assists, and 993 assists for this season. “Zoey is the pulse of our team. She has such a big responsibility as a setter and handles it effortlessly. She doesn’t get rattled on the court and that calmness holds us together in tough situations. She has a great leadership quality that comes through in her work ethic and unselfishness. Zoey is the most natural setter I have ever coached and her ability to set any type of pass is phenomenal. That ability enables us to challenge defenses because it is so hard to guess where she will set the ball. This year she has also been a huge defensive presence with her blocking and digging. She is also about to break the 1,000 assists mark for a season. This would be the second year in a row for her. That is a tremendous accomplishment.” said Head Coach Barry Clendinin.
Hoffman was first introduced to volleyball by her older cousin who she’s looked up to since she was a little kid, so when she went into the 6th grade, she decided to pursue the game of volleyball. “At the time I loved basketball, and had been playing basketball since the 1st grade, but I absolutely fell in love with volleyball and I’m the happiest when I’m playing it”. Hoffman loves the competitiveness of the game and the relationships you build with teammates. “You form such strong chemistry with the girls you play with, and you want to win games for each other. I love the selflessness of it and how you grow in the game with the girls you love.”
Zoey’s goal for this season is to win the state championship. “We got runner-up at states last year, and I hate losing. Our team has worked hard and put in the sweat and tears to make a run for a title.” Hoffman believes her team’s success this season is because “of our resilience and our love for each other. We are genuinely such a close group, and we hang out outside of volleyball all the time. We’re also all super competitive and we’re able to hold our composure when in tough situations. I think that combining those factors have resulted in our team’s success.”
Role models that Hoffman has in volleyball includes” my older cousin, Lilly, and a former fellow teammate, Chloe. They both taught me what it means to be a good teammate and they were always supportive and had such positive attitudes. I’ve always wanted to emulate their dedication and talent to Buffalo Volleyball.”
Off the court at Buffalo High School Hoffman also runs track and is a member of Future Business Leaders of America, Student Council, LINK crew, Pep club, prom committee, and Bison for Christ. Hoffman also played travel volleyball for Putnam Volleyball Club last year. Hoffman was first team all-state in volleyball last year and was named all-tournament team at Herbert Hoover’s ‘Top Dawg’ tournament. She was also named to the all-county team at the Putnam County quad. After high school, Hoffman plans to go to West Virginia University, and is considering playing club volleyball there. She’s not quite sure what she wants to major in just yet, but she is leaning towards something involved with biology.
Please look for other local high school athletes to be named in next week’s female Gamer of the Week Sponsored by Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc., and The Putnam Herald.
MEGAN SCARBERRY, MS, POTENTIAL PLUS INSTRUCTOR AT TEAYS PHYSICAL THERAPY CENTER INC.