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Princeton University Athletics
Krystal Hill ’11
Taking On All Challenges: Krystal Hill ’11
February 12, 2026 | Women's Basketball
By Warren Croxton
Krystal Hill '11 is used to a challenge.
Making an impact as a freshman in college basketball is a challenge.
Hill played in 26 games in her first year with Princeton Women's basketball, averaging 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game and even earned Ivy Rookie of the Week honor in March of that season.
Princeton went 7-23, though.
"The transition from high school to college was huge for me," said Hill. "Princeton is a school of academics and athletics, so you can try to be your best at both things. It can be challenging especially when you're waking up at 6 a.m. for lift before going to class and practice.
Hill started to see the transition for the program just based on the players that coaching staff was recruiting. In her class was Addie Micir, an eventual Ivy Player of the Year, Devona Allgood, a three-time All-Ivy selection, was in the next class while the Class of 2013 and their 54-2 Ivy mark arrived during Hill's junior campaign.
Princeton went 14-14 and placed third in the Ivy League during Hill's sophomore year before breaking through with a 26-3 record and undefeated Ivy mark in 2009-10. Princeton reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and followed that with a 24-5 season, 14-1 Ivy record and another trip to the NCAA Tournament in Hill's senior campaign.
Overall, Hill played in 112 games at Princeton, registering 578 points, 207 rebounds and 132 assists. Her favorite memories during her time with the Tigers included the usual answers, of course.
"The back-to-back Ivy Championships were really memorable," said Hill. "I also enjoyed beating Harvard at Harvard."
The history major at Princeton was now looking forward to her post graduation career.
"I enjoyed education," said Hill. "I saw myself potentially being a principal one day, so I got into teaching and the Teach for America program."
The Houston, Texas native moved to Mississippi and was a 6th-7th grade reading teacher.
Then Hill decided for a new challenge. She wanted to get into medicine.
The former Tiger moved back to Houston to do a post-baccalaureate to fulfill the prerequisites for med school.
During that time, she made the most of her new learnings. She taught chemistry at Summer Creek High School.
Hill eventually got into med school at Penn in 2015 and needed to find what she wanted to do. After going through rotations, she settled on PMNR, known as Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
To do a residency in PMNR, you must do an intern year in internal medicine. Hill moved back to Houston to her intern year at Baylor and enjoyed her time so much with internal medicine, she made that the focus of her career.
As she finishing up med school, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country and the world. As the country began to reopen, Hill, along her friend Norrisa Haynes, an Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Medicine, started a non-profit called SHARP (Safe Haircuts as We Reopen Philadelphia) which helped barbershops and salons have enough personal protective equipment which allowed these small businesses to open safely. The non-profit also taught owners vaccine awareness, allowing them to spread the value of vaccines to their communities.
"It was a lot of fun," said Hill about her non-profit. "It gave me a lot of meaning and purpose in a time that was very isolating."
Through partnerships with Accenture, which provided the equipment, and Penn, who helped with vaccine training and secure other funding, about 50 barbershops/salons used the program.
Hill eventually moved onto her residency at the Baylor College of Medicine, which was still in heart of the pandemic.
"COVID is a story of triumph, but it's also a story of loss, and we lost a lot of people," said Hill about her time working in the pandemic. It was hard, but I learned a lot and enjoyed my residency during that period."
The former senior captain at Princeton is now an internal medicine physician at the Veteran Affairs medical center in Houston and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine where she did her residency.
"It's a privilege to get to help veterans," said Hill. "They sacrifice everything for me so to be able to give back to them, I really enjoy that."
Through all the challenges that have been thrown at Hill or the ones she's taken on herself, the two-time Ivy champion still uses the principles that she learned at Princeton today.
"You have to be resilient," said Hill. "You're being pushed to do your best at Princeton on a physical, mental and emotional level and when you graduate and get into other things in your life, you know you can do it. Princeton really prepared me for the things that are challenging."
Hill has done a lot.
Princeton's informal motto is In the Nation's Service and the Service of Humanity.
Teacher, Doctor. Hill fits the motto and has made the most of her journey after graduating with two Ivy League titles as student athlete.
What has made her the proudest?
"I'm proud of my trajectory," said Hill. "I'm proud that I have grown so much from freshman year, where I didn't know what to do, to now feeling confident to be able to do things. I'm also really proud of my family, friends and keeping good people in my life for support. Finally, I'm also proud to be a doctor because I get to care for people when they are at their most vulnerable."
It's safe to say her family, friends and patients are proud of her too.
Krystal Hill '11 is used to a challenge.
Making an impact as a freshman in college basketball is a challenge.
Hill played in 26 games in her first year with Princeton Women's basketball, averaging 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game and even earned Ivy Rookie of the Week honor in March of that season.
Princeton went 7-23, though.
"The transition from high school to college was huge for me," said Hill. "Princeton is a school of academics and athletics, so you can try to be your best at both things. It can be challenging especially when you're waking up at 6 a.m. for lift before going to class and practice.
Hill started to see the transition for the program just based on the players that coaching staff was recruiting. In her class was Addie Micir, an eventual Ivy Player of the Year, Devona Allgood, a three-time All-Ivy selection, was in the next class while the Class of 2013 and their 54-2 Ivy mark arrived during Hill's junior campaign.
Princeton went 14-14 and placed third in the Ivy League during Hill's sophomore year before breaking through with a 26-3 record and undefeated Ivy mark in 2009-10. Princeton reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and followed that with a 24-5 season, 14-1 Ivy record and another trip to the NCAA Tournament in Hill's senior campaign.
Overall, Hill played in 112 games at Princeton, registering 578 points, 207 rebounds and 132 assists. Her favorite memories during her time with the Tigers included the usual answers, of course.
"The back-to-back Ivy Championships were really memorable," said Hill. "I also enjoyed beating Harvard at Harvard."
The history major at Princeton was now looking forward to her post graduation career.
"I enjoyed education," said Hill. "I saw myself potentially being a principal one day, so I got into teaching and the Teach for America program."
The Houston, Texas native moved to Mississippi and was a 6th-7th grade reading teacher.
Then Hill decided for a new challenge. She wanted to get into medicine.
The former Tiger moved back to Houston to do a post-baccalaureate to fulfill the prerequisites for med school.
During that time, she made the most of her new learnings. She taught chemistry at Summer Creek High School.
Hill eventually got into med school at Penn in 2015 and needed to find what she wanted to do. After going through rotations, she settled on PMNR, known as Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
To do a residency in PMNR, you must do an intern year in internal medicine. Hill moved back to Houston to her intern year at Baylor and enjoyed her time so much with internal medicine, she made that the focus of her career.
As she finishing up med school, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country and the world. As the country began to reopen, Hill, along her friend Norrisa Haynes, an Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Medicine, started a non-profit called SHARP (Safe Haircuts as We Reopen Philadelphia) which helped barbershops and salons have enough personal protective equipment which allowed these small businesses to open safely. The non-profit also taught owners vaccine awareness, allowing them to spread the value of vaccines to their communities.
"It was a lot of fun," said Hill about her non-profit. "It gave me a lot of meaning and purpose in a time that was very isolating."
Through partnerships with Accenture, which provided the equipment, and Penn, who helped with vaccine training and secure other funding, about 50 barbershops/salons used the program.
Hill eventually moved onto her residency at the Baylor College of Medicine, which was still in heart of the pandemic.
"COVID is a story of triumph, but it's also a story of loss, and we lost a lot of people," said Hill about her time working in the pandemic. It was hard, but I learned a lot and enjoyed my residency during that period."
The former senior captain at Princeton is now an internal medicine physician at the Veteran Affairs medical center in Houston and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine where she did her residency.
"It's a privilege to get to help veterans," said Hill. "They sacrifice everything for me so to be able to give back to them, I really enjoy that."
Through all the challenges that have been thrown at Hill or the ones she's taken on herself, the two-time Ivy champion still uses the principles that she learned at Princeton today.
"You have to be resilient," said Hill. "You're being pushed to do your best at Princeton on a physical, mental and emotional level and when you graduate and get into other things in your life, you know you can do it. Princeton really prepared me for the things that are challenging."
Hill has done a lot.
Princeton's informal motto is In the Nation's Service and the Service of Humanity.
Teacher, Doctor. Hill fits the motto and has made the most of her journey after graduating with two Ivy League titles as student athlete.
What has made her the proudest?
"I'm proud of my trajectory," said Hill. "I'm proud that I have grown so much from freshman year, where I didn't know what to do, to now feeling confident to be able to do things. I'm also really proud of my family, friends and keeping good people in my life for support. Finally, I'm also proud to be a doctor because I get to care for people when they are at their most vulnerable."
It's safe to say her family, friends and patients are proud of her too.
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