BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL MEDIA DAYS

August 2, 2022

Adam Hughes

Rainelle Jones

Sydney Dowler

Maryland Terrapins

Press Conference

COACH HUGHES: Thank you all for being here. Thanks to the Big Ten Conference for putting this together. We're thrilled for the athletes to have this chance.

We had a great event last night. It was great to hear the commissioner talk, and Rainelle was able to speak. It was just a really, really powerful moment and a great night from start to finish.

I'm thankful to be here and thankful to be on day two. It was nice to talk to some other coaches who could give us the lay of the land what this was going to be like.

I know Coach Aird was up here talking about the no-tie policy. So I respect his decision on that, but Russ is retired, so I figured I needed to learn how to tie a tie. I spent two days on YouTube to learn how to do that. I hope you guys don't judge me too hard.

I want to take a moment to say thanks to Coach Rose. It will be weird not having him in the conference since 1991. But there's no chance I would be here working with the student-athletes without him. So wanted to say thank you, and thrilled to be here.

Q. Coach, just announced you got an extension. Congrats on that. Talk us through your thoughts and feelings on that. And, players, what's it like (indiscernible)?

COACH HUGHES: It's been something we've been working on a little bit. And just thrilled with the administration's support for us. Obviously it's an incredibly tough conference. I always thought it was cliché to say you need to support us as the administration. And Damon and his whole executive staff have been with us all the way. I think they believe in our vision. They support our vision. And so I'm thrilled to be at Maryland.

I've been here for eight years now. And I'll soon pass my time at Penn State, number of years. And had my three kids. And just really excited about where we're going and thankful that the administration is supporting us in that vision.

Q. Loosely based depth chart, nothing to hold you to, but give us some idea who is what at where?

COACH HUGHES: Just what we lost and gaining from this year?

Q. What does it look like for the first match?

COACH HUGHES: We've been a very good defensive team the last couple of years, especially from a blocking perspective. I think we had a lot of grad transfers last year. They brought a lot of personalities to the locker room. I think these guys would attest to the same.

We return a lot from last season and add a few young players. We added a transfer from Temple to give us some depth at the pins, A local outside named Laila Ivey and another DS from Missouri.

I think our locker room is in a really good spot right now. I think that's one of the things I probably learned in my first year as a head coach. We had some success in 2018 and I probably got in the way of that in 2019, just wanting more success and not spending enough time on the culture. And I've learned that lesson and we're going to spend a lot of time making sure we're trying to have success on the court but make sure locker room remains what it is.

Q. Who is going to play?

COACH HUGHES: Find out in about seven days, yeah.

Q. Names, not position?

COACH HUGHES: We're starting about five --

Q. (Off microphone)?

COACH HUGHES: We have competition at a few positions. We added Anastasia Russ, a transferred from Pitt. We have a redshirt, technically sophomore in Ellie Watson in the middle. And I think there's a really good chance Rainelle will start. Probably a high likelihood.

Syd has done a tremendous job being a leader in our program. She was in our COVID season and kind of won the locker room over about halfway through. And we had this amazing moment where we had a tough loss on the road, and during the COVID season you had to play back-to-back nights. Night one, we were in the locker room and she was obviously very disappointed and wanted to make sure it was clear that she was disappointed.

And that was a moment I remember she kind of had some fire in the locker room. And we walked out and this one next to me says, I'll go to battle with her any day.

So these guys have been good leaders for the program but I would imagine that Syd will be leading the charge for us this year.

We're excited about Laila Ivey as a true freshman coming in. We've got a returner in Erin Morrissey who tore an ACL last season. Trying to get her back as safe and as fast as possible. So we do have some competition battles which I think is good for us.

This conference demands that. You're going to have nicks and people are banged up. You've got to find a way to have success even if that happens.

Q. Big picture, so many long established traditional power programs in the Big Ten. What's the path to keep climbing into the upper tiers of the Big Ten, with no disrespect to where you're finished the standing. This is tough competition?

COACH HUGHES: I think we know we've got to do it against the best. If you can do it in the Big Ten you put yourself in the position to be one of the best programs in the country.

We're thrilled with the addition USC and UCLA, it's only going to get more challenging. Our big thing was to make sure it's the same success, not just a one-off in one year. We had a pretty good year in 2017, a pretty good year in 2018 and felt like we were getting close.

Had a little bit of a setback in 2019 and then the COVID year in 2020. Last year was the big moment to say we're not going anywhere, we're staying around.

We keep looking at breaking new ground and achieving things we haven't been able to do. It's been nice at being at Maryland and joining the Big Ten because it's been a fresh history realistically. You have a locker room and a staff of people who are trying to prove some people wrong. And they're here because they want to compete against the best and see what they can do.

Q. Last year defensively, especially start of the season you guys were really solid, especially in the match against Wisconsin, which was one of the biggest wins I think in program history. [Inaudible]. What was that like? You talk about building the program a bit. And are you looking for more shocks again this year?

COACH HUGHES: Obviously a huge win for us. The thing I was probably the most proud of is there's a lot of people that were behind the scenes and a lot of previous players who put a lot of work and didn't have that opportunity to have that kind of moment. And you go in the locker room and obviously we celebrate, sprayed a lot of water all over the place.

But then you get texts and calls from former players who I've either coached or players before me who called to say thank you. That was probably my favorite part. The win was great but that was amazing.

The thing that I think followed up that made me very proud of the room was that this group did a really good job trying to bury it and move forward because they don't want to be just a flash in the pan or a one-off.

I think they were disappointed and the next night we got absolutely destroyed against Minnesota and they did a good job washing that.

And I think everyone was thrilled with last year but also disappointed in the same sense that we didn't get to the tournament. We had Penn State down 2-0 and a chance to maybe get another signature win. We're two points away from sending the match to five. Up 1-0 against Minnesota.

I think for us we're (indiscernible) with that moment, but I love that the locker room is more interested in how does it sustain itself and be consistent and we don't want to be a one-hit wonder.

RAINELLE JONES: The biggest thing we did was stick to the culture. A lot of us stayed true to ourselves. Being on our side, it was really important that we're going to play our game no matter what team it is, no matter if it's win or lose.

I think it's important each year we're breaking records, we're making attacks on different teams and building that culture. It's really important that we're doing that.

Q. Can you talk about what you had as a kid or was there a moment in your high school club as a freshman start doing better?

RAINELLE JONES: I started with basketball. I switched to volleyball later on. I have to thank my coaches for helping me with blocking because it's so technical. My volleyball IQ wasn't the very best when I was a freshman in college and still learning myself but it was the way the coaches are coaching me. So they definitely learned who I am as a player, as a person to help me with that.

COACH HUGHES: When she was 15 years old she wore a headband that said "libero," like a 6'4" kid walking around. Who is that kid? You go to these tournaments and there would be 80 courts and this head would pop up, you could see "libero". I want to recruit that kid.

Q. (Question about Big Ten season and schedule).

COACH HUGHES: Yes, sure, I think it's interesting because I was with the conference when it was a true double [off audio].

Last year we beat Wisconsin and we're on a flight the next morning to play Minnesota and have to play on the road after being home. That was something that was new for us. I think the big thing from us we're trying to gain experience from that. And I think that's why our program has taken steps is that we've been around long enough to know there isn't any shock value anymore.

RAINELLE JONES: It's definitely a challenge going back and forth with school and volleyball. It's huge building who we are as characters to help us prepare for the future.

SYDNEY DOWLER: It's definitely an adaptation to learn that turn around going from Wisconsin right to Minnesota and then coming back to Penn State on a Wednesday was a quick turnaround of a week. But it's definitely something we're all learning and growing together. And it's that struggle and that difficulty is part of what makes us so close and such family.

Q. Would you rather see them play some of the tougher teams in the front half of the season or back half?

RAINELLE JONES: Good question. It's an opportunity to develop and see what we need to work on individually. (Indiscernible).

Q. You talked about the travel difficulties that you've experienced. In a couple of years it's going to get a little more challenging. Maryland is completely on the opposite side of the LA schools. What is the Big Ten expanding and challenges and opportunities that provides?

COACH HUGHES: I'm thrilled. I'm excited. We're already a great conference. We're getting that much better. So I'm not sure how the travel works into that. I think that was one of the things that our athletic director talked to us, said let's -- we haven't finalized how the travel will actually work. I don't know if there's a way that you can do sort of an off weekend or there's some way to break down where you don't have to play back-to-back road trips.

I'm not sure how that's going to look. But I do think that's going to be interesting.

I'm also curious to see what the breakdown is in rotations now that we've got more teams, how do you balance playing one team once or twice. That's going to be very interesting.

So me, personally, I'm excited. We've added some players from California. I think that kind of helps open doors for us from a recruiting perspective. But I'm a beach guy. I don't mind going out west.

SYDNEY DOWLER: I'm excited too. I love competition new teams we get to play. They're both great historical programs, I can't wait to get out there play them. I know it will be more difficult with travel but we have such a great support system behind us. I'm sure they'll find a way.

COACH HUGHES: We were in a four-team tournament when we first got to Maryland with Steve about eight years ago. And I remember we scheduled to play Washington and USC and we wanted to make sure that we are going to be on a big stage. And walking into the locker room, you would've thought we killed someone's dog. They were, what are we doing? Why did you put us up on this stage?

And I think that's a cool testament to the see where we are as a program now where these guys are, okay, let's go get it, let's see if we can get it done.

Q. Rainelle, share more about the things you're doing outside the classroom that you talked about a bit last night at the reception. Could you talk a little bit about that, if you will?

RAINELLE JONES: Social Justice work is my thing right now working on activism and trying to make the world a better place, equal rights, human rights in general. I want to make everyone more equal. I want more minorities in this room, basically. I want to see inclusion and help people out. Get people, like Kevin talked about last year -- not last year -- last night. Getting people up on the elevator with you, just bringing people up behind you.

Q. You mentioned your defense and obviously the strength of your middle block. What's the next step dimension-wise for you this year in addition to the strong defense?

COACH HUGHES: We want to obviously follow that up and make sure that that's kind of our identity. One of our beliefs as a program is relentless pursuit. One of the things I enjoy is when someone tells us your team is fun to watch because you guys play extremely hard. While we block a lot of balls. Milan, our libero, is flying around making saves and diving into the stands. That brings energy to how we play.

So I think we want to obviously follow up last year's success with more success. But we do need to get a little bit more offensive. And I think that's a point of emphasis in the spring. I think COVID taught us that year, we didn't have a lot of time to train. It was more just prepping and it was really nice this past spring to get a lot of time.

We had to really teach most of the players what a spring looked like. Most of them had never been through it. And so I think it was a very productive offseason for us.

RAINELLE JONES: I guess, blocking as well, it was completely as well. Blocking, you hit the top of the ceiling and what's the next thing? So I guess once you're getting older as a player, which I'm entering my fifth year, but finding the little details of perfecting that.

Q. I was at that tournament eight years ago that you described. You don't have any international players.

COACH HUGHES: Correct.

Q. But with the announcement that the Big Ten is going to be shown internationally now, and Volleyball World, other programs doing it, obviously something there. Planning on expanding those horizons?

COACH HUGHES: It's not something we'd exclude. I think it would be good for us. Last year we had Pete (phonetic), who is Latvian and four or five transfers. And so my first meetings with the team we did a PowerPoint and we put up a map and we asked if everyone could find where these hometowns were. Surprised some people couldn't find Nevada and couldn't find some certain states.

But the best one was we did the last one and it was Paula, and she's from Latvia, and I had no idea where that country even was. But her personality and just her teaching us about her culture and her upbringing I think gave us a lot more empathy in the locker room.

I think there's a ton of value in that. We have a big cultural value that's, do you align with us, and I'm good with different personalities being in the room. And Paula showed us that. It is something we would be open to. We haven't done it a lot. But we would be open to it.

Q. Rainelle, you wrote a great piece "Selma To Montgomery". Now that the dust has settled, it's been a few weeks and since you've been there, what do you take from that experience to bring to your team to help grow it, that culture as well?

RAINELLE JONES: I guess my team did ask me about the trip. Honestly, I'm angry with history. It's repeating itself. And I want to make change. And it's hard to do as one person. Hopefully I'll inspire my teammates to continue to grow, continue to talk to other people that they're not comfortable with, just trying to, I guess, find ways to make better change in their own environments.

Q. Something I've been meaning to ask in the locker room throughout the season, talked to coach yesterday and you talked about it too, the IQ needed to be a middle blocker, even in the last five years, how much more complex blocking has become. Is that something you've just always known? But take us through the -- because sometimes it's the center or libero, but really talk about middle blockers and what you have to do to gain (inaudible).

RAINELLE JONES: I think scouting is most part of the game. They've seen me scout in all the highlighters that are used in the recruiting, in the scouting, but it's basically learning every single player, every single rotation, learning what's going to happen because you never know. Especially if they change rotations it's about being ready for basically everything. It's a lot of fun when you get it done and you're in the flow. But it's a lot of work as a middle and also as a center, but it's very important.