athletics

For the Love of the Game

LMU’s Most Recent Volleyball Standout Gets a Shot at the U.S. Olympic Team

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Heather Hughes ’08 was among 19 players considered for the 12-member roster of the women’s U.S. Olympic team that competed in China.

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No one ever said being a student athlete is easy, especially Heather Hughes ’08. Sure, stardom and popularity are nice, but what fans don’t always see is the sacrifice involved in staying on top of one’s game.

Hughes led the LMU women’s volleyball team on an exciting whirlwind of success during her career. Coaches counted on Hughes as their go-to player, and she was quick to dominate attacks. Her years of experience were evident right from the start.

“I tried many sports as a kid, including basketball and soccer, but there was just something about volleyball that really clicked for me,” said Hughes. Her training began as a sixth grader when her father, who played volleyball for Long Beach State, taught her and her two siblings the game.

Among Hughes’ 2007 highlights were earning the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Pacific Region Honorable Mention and finishing first in the West Coast Conference in kills and points per game. Yet, the talented champion does not exude a solo player mentality. “Volleyball is such a team sport. I have never considered myself as a star player or purposely sought out accolades. It is always about the team’s accomplishments and the motivation to become better at what we do,” explained Hughes.

By the end of her last season, Hughes’ abilities had not gone unnoticed by others in the world of volleyball. In March, she was named to the training team that toured China in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Then, in May and June, Hughes played on the U.S. national team that competed in the Pan American Cup in Mexico.

In early summer 2008, Hughes received an invitation to try out for the U.S. women’s Olympic team. Hughes’ experiences abroad allowed her to make the cut as one of 19 players on the preliminary Olympic roster. Only 12 players get to wear the U.S. uniform. But in mid-July, the roster was announced, and Hughes wasn’t on it. Before the selection was announced, Hughes said, “Making the team would be a dream come true, but if it doesn’t work out for me this year it will only make me work harder.”

Countless hours of practice in hot gyms, grueling bus rides and long airport waits — along with a dose of homesickness — can be a drain on any athlete. But Hughes has a love for the game. “You have to sacrifice so much of your time, but the opportunity is worth it. I would not trade the experience for anything,” said Hughes.

While Hughes proudly represented the United States and LMU around the world, her friends on campus were busy attending Senior Banquet and other end-of-the-year feasts. Her athletic schedule required putting her last semester as a senior on hold. Now Hughes looks forward to returning to campus to complete her bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in business administration.

“Next semester, I want to take advantage of all that I could not do at LMU due to sports. … It will be great to just be a ‘normal’ student,” she said.


Showing Our Pride

Lion Olympians
Reid Priddy ’00, former LMU volleyball all-American, was chosen for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team that competed in China. The U.S. team won the Gold Medal for the first time in 20 years, defeating Brazil three sets to one. Priddy has been part of the national squad for the past eight years. Jeff Stevens ’06, former Lion and now a pitcher with the minor league Buffalo Bisons, the Cleveland Indians’ AAA affiliate, made the 2008 U.S. Olympic baseball team, which won the bronze medal. Stevens is the first LMU baseball player to ever be named to an Olympic roster. Warren Anderson ’06 was named an alternate to the U.S. Olympic Rowing Team. Anderson starred for the Lions from 2003–06 and rowed for the national team at the 2007 Pan American Games, earning a bronze medal.

Lions Pitcher Drafted by the Angels
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected LMU junior right-hander Mike Kenney in the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. Since the 2000 season, 23 LMU baseball players have been drafted.

Follow all the Lions fall sports at lmulions.com.