Cooley, Morris Recognized at Honors Convocation

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University hosted its 53rd annual Honors Convocation on Wednesday night at the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. The annual ceremony celebrates the University's most exceptional students and faculty. FAU student-athletes Hunter Cooley of baseball and Mackenzie Morris of beach volleyball were recognized as the Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year.

Cooley has achieved a plethora of accomplishments on and off the field during the past four years. In the classroom, Cooley has maintained a 3.83 cumulative GPA and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Corrections this past fall. Currently, Cooley is pursuing his master's degree in criminology. Cooley has earned a spot on the FAU Dean's List (top 3% of college) and President's List (4.0 GPA) twice. In the community, Cooley has totaled over 30 community service hours, which is among the top of all FAU student-athletes this year. In March, Cooley was named as a finalist for college baseball's Senior CLASS Award, awarded to the total student-athlete, while encouraging students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact.

"It is an honor to be selected as the male student-athlete of the year," said Cooley. "There are a lot of great athletes here at FAU and I'm proud to be selected for this award for 2022."

Athletically, Cooley was a Second Team All-Conference USA selection last season with his 3.54 ERA in league play marking the seventh lowest in C-USA. Also last season, Cooley wrapped up the year 8-4, which was the most wins on the team and tied for fourth among C-USA hurlers. Cooley has settled into a consistent role as the Owls' number one starter in 2022. He is 5-3 on the mound and tallied a career-high 10 strikeouts versus UTSA. Cooley was voted by his teammates as one of two co-captains prior to the season's start.

Morris will go down as one of the best beach volleyball players in program history, while being a great student in the classroom and leader int the community. Academically, Morris holds a 3.919 GPA, as she pursues her MBA after graduating with her bachelor's degree in spring 2022. Morris has earned President's List and Dean's List honors during multiple semesters at FAU. In the community, Morris has logged 45+ community service hours with her beach volleyball team that is very active in giving back to the local community.

"This is such an incredible honor! My freshman year, I would have never imagined my college career ending in this way, it is so surreal," said Morris. "I am so lucky to have had such amazing coaches and teammates that have pushed me to become the player that I am today!"

On the courts, Morris is a AVCA First Team All-American, two-time AVCA Top Flight selection (won 75% of her season's matches), two-time C-USA Pair of the Week honoree, AVCA National Pair of the Week choice and C-USA Preseason Team selection. Morris and her partner Erica Brok hold the school record, by a mile, in career wins as a pair with a 91-29 record, including a 20-6 mark this season. Morris also holds the school record in individual winning percentage (0.758) and most court one wins with Brok (49). The pair has knocked off court one pair's from No. 3 Florida State, No. 5 LSU and No. 7 Grand Canyon, among others this season, and is consistently ranked as one of the top pairs in the nation. The FAU beach volleyball is No. 10 in the country and has belonged in the top 10 for almost a month now. This marks the highest ranking in school history.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

Erica Brok

Hunter Cooley

Mackenzie Morris

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: No. 16 Women's Beach Volleyball versus North Florida on April 10, 2026 at 12 p.m.

Upcoming Event: No. 16 Women's Beach Volleyball versus Jacksonville on April 10, 2026 at 4 p.m.

Upcoming Event: No. 16 Women's Beach Volleyball versus SFA on April 11, 2026 at 12 p.m.

Upcoming Event: No. 16 Women's Beach Volleyball versus FGCU on April 11, 2026 at 4 p.m.

Upcoming Event: No. 16 Women's Beach Volleyball versus Oregon on April 17, 2026 at 2:15 p.m.

Upcoming Event: No. 16 Women's Beach Volleyball at Washington on April 17, 2026 at 6 p.m.

Florida Atlantic University Athletics