Xavier University Athletics
Moriah Hopkins: A Leader On and Off the Court
02.28.22 | Volleyball, Athletic Department
In honor of Black History Month, we want to highlight one of our strong and profound student-athletes who has transcended into a commanding woman, leader, and friend during her time here at Xavier University - Moriah Hopkins.
Competitor. Believer. Leader. These are the words that surround Moriah Hopkins, better known as “Mo” around the Xavier community. A fifth-year graduate student working towards her MBA - Hopkins came back to Xavier for more than just time on the volleyball court. She came to make an impact on everyone around her.
The powerful 6”1’ right side hitter hails from Mableton, Ga., and was a strong player from the jump. In high school, she posted a .350 hitting percentage in 2016, the second-best mark in single-season school history, and led her High School team, the North Cobb Warriors, to a state title in 2014 and an elite eight appearance in 2016.
Once at Xavier, she was making her presence felt on the court as well. She has sharpened her skills year by year, with her career high of kills (214) and points (242) both coming in the 2019 season. She has also made the All-BIG EAST Academic Team every season as a student.
This game is more than the ball and the net, especially to Moriah. Coaches need a player they can rely on; someone who can build the bridge between team and staff. This position isn’t something granted either, it is the will of one or a few individuals to take action and be that intermediary, and that’s exactly what Mo did. Xavier associate head coach Ed Tolentino said she has had the maturity since her time as a committed recruit to communicate with coaches and players. Assistant coach Katie Meyers agreed and added, “[Moriah] has a respect for the lines of communication that help a team compete, and she sets the highest standard being a bridge between the girls on her team and the coaching staff.”
This great sense of maturity is something that Hopkins has brought to the table since her career began at Xavier. What sets her apart is her attention to detail; the ability she has to foster relationships with her resources to advance her goals, and the goals of others, is a defining key to who she is as a whole.
“I have always been someone who tries to take all of the information and context into account to make the best decisions possible for everyone, but that can be a slow process.” says Moriah. Throughout the years, she credits learning to trust instinct more, and to try to be more direct in the face of uncomfortable situations or conflict. “Just believe that regardless of how other people may perceive things, you made decisions hoping to affect everyone in the best way possible,” she said.
Hopkins is a founding student member of Xavier’s I.D.E.A. Initiative, a committee geared towards becoming leaders of social change in college athletic programs. The IDEA initiative has been a great new addition to the Athletic Department and has opened new eyes behind the scenes of how to better student-athletes’ lives. Through it, Xavier has developed an in-depth framework for promoting DE&I efforts in the program, have established two new student groups (the LGBTQIA+ group and the Black Student Athlete Group) and have navigated various different conversations surrounding DE&I that occur across the Big East and nationally.
This was important not only to Moriah, but to the University to have a consistent plan in place to want this to happen. Leslie Fields, who is the Director of Compliance, works with Hopkins on the I.D.E.A. Initiative, as well as the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. She says that Moriah’s adaptive leadership style is what allows her to have such a powerful voice and open approach to her work. “She is able to fit the need of every organization she is a part of,” said Fields. “When tasks need to be completed, when people, students, or faculty, need to be held accountable, she is there to do that.”
What continues to separate Mo from the rest, is her vision for the future. Her goal-oriented focus is a key attribute to her character, and remains a driving point to her success. She graduated with a 3.5 GPA as a marketing majoring with a minor in psychology. Her work ethic is universal; the effort she puts into her volleyball game is the same ethic she applies to the classroom. “Mo is the truest standard of a student-athlete”, says Angela Wyss, the Senior Director of Student-Athlete Academic Support Services. Wyss has been working with Hopkins from the time she was a freshman, and even back then, she knew Moriah was capable of so many things. “She never needed anyone to push her, because the bar she set for herself was already so high.” If she ever needed extra help, she aligned her schedule to meet with her teacher. If she was able to understand a certain concept in class, she would take the time to show another student peer. Moriah is strikingly independent, never lenient on anything or anyone.
She’s commanded the court. She’s commanded the classroom. And now, she’s ready to command the world. What’s next for Mo? – anything is possible. With the anticipated graduation this coming Spring of 2022, Hopkins is looking for her next steps. With an undergraduate and graduate degree in hand, her horizons have expanded tremendously. Her time is now. In hopes of her own vision, she plans to get a job that would allow her the freedom to continue to explore new things. Secretly she hopes to land in the same city as her freshman year roommate, Nadia, since they always promised they would live together after college.
Go after it Mo, and take over the world.
