MIAMI – FIU beach volleyball freshman Abbie Hughes (Mason, Ohio) was named to the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association Preseason Watch List, the league announced on Wednesday.

Click here to see complete CCSA Preseason All-Conference Team and Watch List.

Hughes begins her first season with the FIU beach volleyball program following a stellar freshman indoor season for the Panthers and comes to FIU after being named an American Volleyball Coaches Association Beach Volleyball Second Team All-American during high school. Hughes played for the Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Academy (OVBVA)/Next Level during her prep career in Mason, Ohio. At the OVBVA, Hughes won back-to-back Beach Fest Gulf Shores Tournaments, finished first in two AVP Next events, and placed second in the USA National Championship.

The Panthers begin play on Friday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m., when it takes to the court to face Saint Leo during the first day of the Stetson University Spring Fling in DeLand, Florida. FIU will close out the day against Eckerd at 4 p.m., before ending the weekend on Saturday, Feb. 23, against No. 17 Stetson (10 a.m.) and No. 13 Georgia State (4 p.m.).

Last season, the Panthers posted a 23-12 record, and a 7-3 mark in Coastal Collegiate Sports Association play, advancing to their first-ever NCAA Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama. FIU finished the year ranked No. 9 in the final AVCA poll, and No. 10 in the final DiG Magazine rankings.

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