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Olympic rings on Eiffel Tower in Paris
Sara Hughes

Sara Hughes

Sport

Beach Volleyball

Country

United States

USC Affiliation

Lettered 2014-17

Olympic Experience

First Olympics

AT USC

· Four-year starter and three-time team captain (2015-17)

· Three-time national champion (2015 AVCA, 2016-17 NCAA)

· 2014 AVCA Pairs National Champion (with Kirby Burnham)

· 2015 AVCA Pairs National Champion (with Kelly Cheng)

· 2017 USAV Pairs National Champion (with Cheng)

· Two-time Pac-12 champion (2016-17)

· Two-time Pac-12 pairs champion (2016-17 with Cheng)

· Four-time AVCA All-American (2014-17)

· Three-time DiG Magazine National Player of the Year (2015-17)

· Two-time DiG Magazine All-American (2016-17)

· 2017 Volleyball Magazine Pair of the Year (with Cheng)

· Two-time Pac-12 Pair of the Year (with Cheng)

· Two-time Pac-12 All-Conference choice (2016-17)

· Two-time NCAA All-Tournament Team selection (2016-17)

· Compiled 190 career collegiate victories (USC’s all-time leader) and had a .959 winning percentage (also first)


PRO and INTERNATIONAL

· Reigning FIVB Beach World Champion with Kelly Cheng

· Qualified for the 2024 Paris Games with college teammate Kelly Cheng and are the sixth-ranked pair in the world in the FIVB rankings

· She and Cheng were the youngest team ever to win an AVP title when the duo won the AVP Chicago Open in 2017

· Played in 42 AVP events with seven first-place finishes

· Played in 77 FIVB events with 10 first-place finishes

· 2017 FIVB Rookie of the Year

· 2017 VolleyballMag.com Rookie of the Year

· 2018 VolleyballMag.com Best Defensive Player

· Won the 2022 AVP Manhattan Beach Open with Kelley Kolinske

· 21-career victories in pro events; 13 of those with Cheng


FAST FACTS

· Played most of her collegiate career with Kelly Cheng and compiled a 147-4 record as a pair with an incredible NCAA-record 103-match win streak

· Older brother Connor played outside hitter at UC Irvine and won back-to-back NCAA championships with the Anteaters (2012-13)

· Sister Lauren played volleyball at Fairfield

· Served as a member of USC’s Trojan Athletic Senate

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