Hoffman takes second Volleyball award at Semoball Awards

Advance's Lexi Hoffman (right) accepts the 2024 Volleyball Athlete of the Year award from former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Brian Jordan at the Semoball Awards, presented by Mercy, on July 12.

Silver Landing Photography/Bailey Bagot

Saying recent Advance High School graduate Lexi Hoffman had a memorable career on the volleyball court might be just a bit of an understatement.

* Three state championships

* Back-to-back seasons of 500 or more kills.

* More than 1,400 kills for her high school career.

* And last — but certainly not least — earning back-to-back Semoball Volleyball Athlete of the Year awards, the local high school volleyball equivalent of college football's Heisman Trophy.

“I really didn't expect to get it two years in a row,” Hoffman said after winning the award. “It's crazy. There was a lot of good competition this year.”

Hoffman said winning the honor, which was handed out July 12 at the Semoball Awards, is the ideal capstone to her high school career.

Mercy is the presenting sponsor of the Semoball Awards, the area’s premier awards show recognizing student-athletes and coaches in Southeast Missouri.

“This is my last award as a high school player,” Hoffman said, “so it's great that it's this.”

More than that, Hoffman won the honor the same night her mother (and head coach) Erin Hoffman received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Semoball.

The younger Hoffman said playing for her mother has been great.

“She's one of my best friends,” Lexi said. “So it's not even just playing for my mom. It's playing for one of my best friends.”

The younger Hoffman was one of the leaders of Advance's dominant two-year run on the court. During the past two seasons, the Hornets won back-to-back state titles, back-to-back Stoddard County Activities Association titles and compiled a record of 62-13-3.

During those two seasons, Lexi racked up 542 and 530 kills, respectively, while also improving her kill percentage from 46.5% in 2022 to 54.3% in 2023. Her hitting percentage increased from .372 as a junior to .459 as a senior, and she also added 86 blocks — 54 of them solo blocks — as a senior and 446 assists.

After going 27-11 and winning a state title in 2022, the Hornets returned most of that same roster in 2023 and finished 35-3-3, winning another state title.

Having mostly the same team around her in 2022 and 2023 made those seasons especially memorable for the younger Hoffman.

“We were so close,” Lexi said. “Since it was the same exact team from my junior year, I think we were just all super close.”

That was not the only thing which stood out for the younger Hoffman during her high school career.

“What stood out the most is probably the community and how they played an impact on it,” Lexi said. “We always have the biggest crowd at state, so that just makes it way better.

And the younger Hoffman's volleyball career is not over as she will play for McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois this fall. The Division II school is on the northeast edge of the St. Louis area.

Lexi originally committed to Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio, but that school announced in February it was closing, which it did in May.

“My recruiting process was interesting, but I'm glad that (McKendree) welcomed me with open arms after the whole Notre Dame thing happened,” Lexi said. “I love the coach and I'm grateful that I get the opportunity to play there.”