Panthers’ volleyball fueled by freshman standout

Sunday, September 2, 2018

By Jenna Smith/Staff Writer

 

 

Abbie Hughes is the athlete everyone wants on their team, and no one wants to square off against.

When watching Hughes, you would be under the impression that she is the senior captain of the team, but instead, she is a freshman who can help turn around for the FIU Volleyball program.

Since the age of eight, Hughes quickly fell in love with the game. “Volleyball is my happy place,” the freshman said.

During the beginning of her junior year in high school, Hughes committed to FIU for indoor and beach volleyball.

“The best part of playing for FIU is the family environment,” Hughes said.

The FIU environment was an immediate reason why she attended the university and why she would play for head coach Rita Baker-Crockett.

At the age of 14, her dominant demeanor on the court and in the sand turned many heads.

The most impressive moment of her volleyball career was playing in the USA Nationals for Sand Volleyball four times during her high school career.

Additionally, her win in the Gulf Shores Championship allowed for her to beat the top-ranked beach team in the country. From the age of 14 to 18, Hughes competed in the 18s-open division for the beach.

As a five-foot-nine setter, she was also named an Under Armour Honorable Mention All-American, secured All-Conference honors twice and even placed as a Second-Team All-State setter.

She also earned her 2,000 assists, in her hometown of, Mason, Ohio at Williamson Mason High School.

The freshman is the prime example of a triple threat player as she specializes in setting, attacking and digging.

She is the voice on the court and plays every minute of each game. Most opponents are surprised to see how high her vertical and powerful her attacking is, mainly since she was recruited as a setter.

Hughes has been an impressive player by capturing over 100 assists this season so far. Despite the loss against the Stetson Hatters, the five-set game allowed for her to hold a season-high of 38 assists.

While at FIU, she plans on majoring nutrition. Her ideal career would be working in the Sports and Wellness fields. The nutrition field will give Hughes the opportunity to do just that.

The team will resume play Saturday, Sept. 7, at the UCF Tournament in Orlando, Fla. FIU will face UCF and Wofford on Saturday and will also play Sunday against the University of Illinois-Chicago.