LEXINGTON, Ky. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association has named Maryland volleyball assistant coach Adam Hughes as a recipient of the 'Thirty Under 30' award, as announced Wednesday.

The prestigious honor, created in 2009, features the top-30 up-and-coming volleyball coaches under the age of 30. Nominees can coach in any level of the game but must be a member of the AVCA.

“Adam is one of the top young coaches in the country,” said head coach Steve Aird. “He is an exceptional talent, and I am fortunate to have him as part of my staff. Few young coaches have been fortunate to be around the nation's elite at every level, but his ability to break down film, train, educate and lead separates him. In my opinion, the best is yet to come as he studies, reads, learns and takes great pride in improving each day.”

Hughes joined Aird's staff as an assistant coach in February 2014. In his first season, Hughes helped coach Maryland through its most difficult schedule in program history as the Terps took on 12 ranked opponents. He played a crucial role in increasing support from the community as the Terrapins set four of the top-10 attendance records in Maryland history, including the No. 1 attendance record (4,522 vs. Penn State, Oct. 23, 2014). Hughes is also the head coach for the Metro American volleyball club's 15 Travel team.

Prior to Maryland, Hughes served as the Director of Volleyball Operations at Penn State and was the team's primary technical operation of Data Volley and Date Video, as well as in charge of team travel and day-to-day organization. He also served as a volunteer assistant and manager for the Nittany Lions, and in nine seasons at Penn State, Hughes helped the team capture three NCAA Championships and eight Big Ten Championships.

The Thirty Under 30 recipients will be featured in the May issue of Coaching Volleyball 2.0, the AVCA's official digital publications.

-Maryland-