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Williamstown High School threw Raina Hughes “into the deep end straight from the start” months after she switched schools. She earned a spot on the varsity team following a dominant performance at a preseason camp.

“I think a lot of that season, stuff that we were saying to her probably seemed like (a foreign language),” said Chris Sheppard, Williamstown’s head coach.

Hughes improved with each game, becoming a “force” for Williamstown as a junior. She recorded 208 kills, 36 blocks and 16 kills in a state championship win over North Hunterdon.

“In only two years in the program, to make the impact that she made over the course of two years is a story in itself,” Sheppard said.

At Syracuse this season, Hughes has shown her ability to adjust to a new situation. In high school, Hughes played right sided hitter, a position that suited her dominant left-hand. This year, Syracuse head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam moved her to middle blocker, a position she had little experience with. But after redshirting last season, Hughes wasted no time making an impact at her new role, recording a team-high 45 blocks so far.

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“She has natural abilities that a lot of people don’t have,” Ganesharatnam said. “We still have to make sure we work on her technique and timing but she’s been doing a great job so far in that position.”

Hughes didn’t step onto a volleyball court until her freshman year of high school. Standing over six feet tall, Hughes gave the sport a try after attending a few local clinics.

The summer before her sophomore year, Hughes moved from Winslow Township to Williamstown school district and attended a volleyball camp. Hughes still hadn’t played a competitive volleyball match, but impressed Sheppard.

“There were just some things athletically that she did that were impressive…she was definitely somebody that stood out to us.” Sheppard said.

By the end of her junior season at Williamstown, Hughes blossomed into one of the team’s stars. The Braves finished the season 30-4-1, winning the Group 4 New Jersey State Championship.

But a few months after the championship, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The fall volleyball season moved to the spring, and since she already committed to Syracuse, Hughes joined SU in January 2021.

Once again, Hughes had to learn on the fly. Ganesharatnam said the position change itself is “not an easy adjustment” to make.

“It’s like comparing a shooting guard and a center, for example, or a quarterback and running back.” Ganesharatnam said.

As a right-sided hitter, Hughes played in more of an attacking position, trying to get many kills. But as a middle blocker, Hughes has been Syracuse’s first line of defense, using her athletic ability and long arms to foil opposing teams’ attacks. She’s had to “think quicker,” she said.

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“I still have a ways to go with getting comfortable and confident in myself but overall, I just think I’m doing a good job adjusting,” Hughes said.

With Syracuse struggling in the first two sets against Yale, Hughes set the tone in the third, blocking on three separate occasions. When SU trailed 17-16, Hughes and Naomi Franco denied Audrey Leak to tie the set. Despite the eventual loss, Hughes led Syracuse with a career-high four blocks.

In SU’s first conference win, Boston College’s Jenna Pollock rose up to spike a ball set by Sophia Lambros. Hughes mimicked Pollock’s movement on the other side, meeting her at the net. She boomeranged the ball back with a powerful block, giving Syracuse a 10-7 lead in the fifth set.

“The fact that she can play both positions equally well, it’s really helpful for the team.” Ganesharatnam said. “It’s very pretty unique, so we want to make sure we keep training in those positions so we can take advantage of her ability.”

Published on September 27, 2022 at 9:55 pm

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