BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL MEDIA DAYS

August 2, 2023

Adam Hughes

Sam Csire

Sydney Dowler

Maryland Terrapins

Press Conference

ADAM HUGHES: I'm thrilled to be here. I think last year at this time we weren't really sure what this event was going to be like, and it's cool to see the Big Ten is not just trying to pull it off but doing it a second time and trying to make it a little bit better than last year.

We're excited to be here. I think we've had a really unique spring. We finished up the year with a couple significant wins and launched ourselves into getting ready for this season.

We were able to add two transfers that joined us in January and then kind of parlayed that into getting a new assistant coach who brought a little bit more of a men's game side of the view of the game, I should say, and then were able to go on a foreign tour and train for 10 days and check out Europe for almost two weeks.

We've had a lot going on since we finished up the Big Ten schedule, and now excited to get rolling here in a few days.

Q. I want to follow up on the importance of adding that third coach, but we were talking about with adding that men's game dynamic and the importance of that.

ADAM HUGHES: I should give a shout-out to Coach Keegan Cook. He gave me the insight on a really good assistant coach. His name is Ryan Ammerman. He played on the Men's National Team for a number of years. He was coaching at UC Irvine recently and wanted to finish up his commitment to them. So he wasn't able to join us until probably early into May. But it's been great to have him look at what we've been doing and how he kind of views the game.

He's worked both from the club side. He's done youth development. He's coached players that have gone on to play on the national team. It's really nice to have just a new perspective.

It was great. Once he got there, I kind of let him and Becca, our other assistant coach, really run our training to get ready for Europe. And it was cool to see those guys, just look at the different opinions and styles. And practice was very, very different, and I think I learned a lot from it.

Yeah, thrilled to have him, love where our staff is right now, and can't wait to get ready for our first practice.

Q. Your preseason schedule is certainly a unique one, two separate trips down to Florida and a couple teams that you wouldn't necessarily assume that you would schedule. What's the makeup? I know you're a really analytical coach. How did you build that, and what's the mindset behind making your pre-conference schedule?

ADAM HUGHES: Yeah, scheduling right now is a nightmare. I'll put it at that. The nice thing is there's more flexibility with the number of days you can play. So you start seeing people breaking out and playing maybe only twice a weekend or trying to do some midweeks.

For us, we know we need to do as much damage as we can in the non-conference slate. So we really wanted to try to get to 12 matches and see what wins we can put together.

Realistically, a couple of those trips, you got two teams that are committed to it and you're trying to find a fourth. And I felt like it was a juggling act, and especially when you're not the host, you really don't have as much to decide on that.

We wanted to go -- we returned the trip to Florida Gulf Coast as they came to us last year. Miami was unique. We were looking for a team that was going to host that had someone who had been in the tournament. Miami returns a lot. We're not looking past FIU playing that first day. But realistically we feel like we've got a lot of experience coming back and want to kind of test ourselves early.

Q. You mentioned Ryan is replacing AJ. Are you adding a third assistant coach?

ADAM HUGHES: Yeah, our director of ops is technically probably our third assistant. He's actually with the U.S. team right now, the U-19s, over in Croatia.

He's unique. He's a brilliant guy. He really wants to be a sports administrator. I keep trying to draw him back into the volleyball side of things. So he'll be filling that role for us.

He's triple duty. He's working with our softball program, he helps with our administration, he does pretty much everything for us.

Q. Did you have to negotiate with administration to get that position, that third coaching position, or what was that discussion like to be able to have a third assistant coach?

ADAM HUGHES: Yeah, I think he's been there almost as long as I have. He got there in 2018, so he's going on year six. So he's built a really good rapport within the athletic department. I think they were open to building this hybrid role for him, so we're fortunate to have him, and I couldn't be more thrilled where the staff is.

Q. Sam and Sydney, you guys have been a part of some big obviously wins and changes for the Terrapins. I remember in 2021 covering the Badgers and you guys winning in five sets and that being a huge deal, especially as it went on to -- you were able to say you beat a national champion last year, two big wins as well over top 10 teams. How do you use the momentum of those games and those matches that you can win and kind of keep the consistency? What do you look to build with those big-match experiences?

SAM CSIRE: Yeah, I think we've spent three years already rebuilding this program, and so each year that I've been here, there's been one more upset.

Now I think that just gets us a lot of confidence going into this next season. It's like, well, we can play with anybody at any time. It gives us a lot of confidence going into it.

I just think they're so fun to play. The atmospheres that we get to play in also contribute a lot. The win against Wisconsin, our fans were going crazy, and they were a huge factor to that.

SYDNEY DOWLER: I think obviously they're really exciting to be a part of a growing program. These big like landmark upsets are super exciting to be a part of, but although they show us that we can do it, I think it's also more about the losses to know like we still have to get consistent in doing that.

We're able to now, but consistency is really the next big leap for us to make. And I think it's more about our losses that show us the little things we have to change to get there.

Q. Curious from all three of your perspectives, is there something that taking the first two matches of a pre-conference tournament and then falling in the third like you did a few times last season, is that a trend that you stick to? Coach, is that something from an analytics or strategy perspective that you're looking at and saying, We got those first two matches, what did we do in the third?

ADAM HUGHES: I think the one thing this group has probably more than I've probably ever been at Maryland is depth. So we have put that into consideration. I think we have some positions where we've got people that can contribute in different ways.

I'm excited to be able to use that a little bit in preseason. It's just such a huge -- whatever you can do in the non-conference basically dictates how much damage you've got to do in the Big Ten. The Big Ten is only getting tougher next year, adding USC and UCLA. We realize that we've got to put a huge emphasis in starting the season well.

That's been one thing that was really nice to be able to see in the spring, is giving people some chances to see what they could produce, bringing in our freshmen and kind of seeing what they can produce. We've been consistent that we've had a lot of people make impacts in a lot of ways.

I'm hoping that could be a big advantage for us in preseason.

SAM CSIRE: I think we always want to win, right? So that is why we have these preseason games, so we can learn a lot about ourselves before the Big Ten conference starts.

When we drop a game like that, that's why we have film, learn about what we did wrong, how we can get better, so that we're really prepared for the big stage on this Big Ten league.

SYDNEY DOWLER: Yeah, the third game is typically going to be the more challenging one in these conference series where you play the higher-seeded team in that tournament, so it is probably the biggest opportunity for us to learn from, especially if we have like younger kids filling in those roles early in preseason.

I think it's just good experience for them to learn from to take into the season, but hopefully this year it doesn't carry into.

ADAM HUGHES: It's interesting, that's how we finished the year, too. I think we were 0-4 going into our last match against Indiana in five-gamers. The window or trying to have a successful season can be the difference in winning four of those games versus going 0-4. But we were able to cap it with a win at Indiana in five, and I think that was a great way for us to finish the year.

Q. For Sam or Sydney, do either of you look at the conference schedule to see when you face certain teams earlier in the season, later in the season, when you're home, when you're on the road? Is that something that ever pops up?

SAM CSIRE: Oh, yeah. I love to see if we play big teams at home because that's the best environment we can be in. And then being a little biased, I go and look when we're at Ohio State so my family can come and watch me, and there's a lot of them.

I for sure look at it. But at the same time, I've got to tell myself, every team you want to play the same. But yeah, I for sure look at it.

SYDNEY DOWLER: The only one I'm looking for is to see if I play in Wisconsin or Nebraska where my family is at just so they can come. But I'm trying to win every game, honestly, home or away. Doesn't matter, I'm going to play the same way.

Q. Sam and Sydney, what do you view as some of your responsibilities as leaders on this team?

SAM CSIRE: For me I want to be kind of an example to the freshmen and showing that you can be comfortable in uncomfortable situations, kind of teach them the standard of our team and about our culture. We do values every single year because someone might value something different than the person before.

I really want to kind of tell them about our program and what we expect from them, and right away they're all on board.

That's kind of what I hope to give to them, yeah.

SYDNEY DOWLER: Yeah, kind of similar. I think I hope to lead mostly by example and to make the people around me better at all times, whether it's in the weight room, on the field where we're conditioning, in the gym, outside of the gym, regarding school. My goal is to just push everybody, the person next to me, and make sure I'm taking them with me as I'm pushing myself.

Q. The block has been a big part of Maryland's identity. You lose Rainelle Jones, Anastasia is back. How do you look to continue that tradition of being a very physical, big block team?

SAM CSIRE: Yeah, I look at it as you've just got to learn from the best. Looking at Laila Ricks and Rainelle, Anastasia, I learn a lot from them just being there, and they tell me things that I need to fix, and I'm there.

Just seeing how Rainelle and kind of her legacy that she left, I had a lot to learn from. Laila Ricks being the same age as me, we get along. We were roommates.

I think it's very easy to learn from them. And we can also take that, what we've learned, and give it to our new middle or an outside and kind of keep that tradition going of the blocks.

SYDNEY DOWLER: Yeah, I'd give a lot of credit to the staff. I think they do a great job individually with each person fixing the little tweaks that we all need to get better on blocking, reading, whatever it is.

We have a lot of huge block returners coming back. Like Laila Ricks was just a force at the net, and I'll be excited to see what we do again this year.

Q. What about the summer tour will stick with you through the season and beyond?

SAM CSIRE: A lot. First of all, I think it was awesome just sightseeing and seeing everything -- it was my first time to Europe in general, so it was quite the experience.

Then just seeing the way that they play volleyball over there, it's a lot different. They have a higher IQ it seems like.

So I was able to bring a lot of their game into my game, at least I hope, so I think that was a big part of what I'm going to bring back.

Then just the experience. We went cliff-jumping off of like a 60-foot cliff. I'm not going to forget that. There's video, too, so I always can re-watch it. Lots of things I can bring back from that trip.

SYDNEY DOWLER: Yeah, I think the team bond is probably the biggest one, having the freshmen there, really doing these huge experiences like cliff-jumping together or riding down the Alpine Swiss slide.

I think those are some bonding moments that really knit you close together. I'm excited to see how that meshes us on the court, too.

Q. Coach, how did your experience at Penn State positively impact you, and what are your thoughts on the job Katie Schumacher-Cawley has done so far?

ADAM HUGHES: Yeah, one of the best things that Coach Rose taught me, and he is uniquely him, and that was the big takeaway that he wanted to make sure that I took with me: You're not trying to replicate me. You're not trying to replicate what we've done at Penn State. You're trying to find your own path, find your way and let you be confident in who you are.

I have him in the back of my mind at all times when I make decisions, and that reminds me that I shouldn't just use my past to make the decision because that's how we did it in the past.

I think blocking is a great example of that. We had a different style in how we played and prepared for matches at Penn State, and obviously had a huge amount of success while I was there.

But we tried to institute that a little bit at Maryland, and it wasn't having the same success, and we've literally turned 180 and tried a whole different strategy.

But that strategy is kind of what I'm into, numbers and analytics and details. That's probably what sticks with me the most is just Russ always telling me, hey, you've got to be uniquely you and be very confident in who you are.

I admire Katie. I'm sure that challenge is hard for her. She's probably gotten that same feedback from Coach Rose, and for her to have to chart her own path after that is a really tremendous challenge.

Q. Adam, we've seen transfers become more prolific. What are your thoughts about the evolution of the portal, and what are your thoughts on transfers from Big Ten school to Big Ten school?

ADAM HUGHES: We might have been one of the first schools that actually lost somebody to an intra-conference transfer. It might have been Northwestern or us.

I think now that we've been able to see it happen across the board, I think it's kind of neutralized and that shock value is kind of gone. I joke about how we feel more like we are GMs than coaches at times.

But realistically, the recruiting process is very different. When you're recruiting someone who's 15 or 16, you're making a bet on what they're about to become. We were fortunate we brought in two transfers that played in the SEC. They've got two years of experience. They were both at schools that didn't have a perceived amount of history and were able to make the NCAA Tournament.

For us, it was, hey, this is a great fit for us. We knew what they were capable of. You kind of know a little bit more about what they can help you with, and realistically you know what you need in the short term more than you do in the long term.

I never want to build the culture off of that, but we'll bring up the two, Lilly and Schnitta, our two transfers, brought some new ideas and things that they brought from their experiences. From us and our culture, we want to accept that and kind of learn from them.

We've really valued it. We've enjoyed it. I just don't want to rely on it.

Q. You're also one of the few schools that had someone enter and then return to your school. What did you learn from that incident and going forward to help build the team?

ADAM HUGHES: Yeah, it's probably the same thing. I think there was this perception years ago that you went in the transfer portal because something was wrong or something wasn't great. For me I want to make sure that there's a lot of communication happening of this is the best decision for you or not.

Laila went home and went in for a short amount of time. And had a great conversation with her and her family, and she talked to the team via Zoom and said, hey, I want to come back, I want to make sure everyone is on the same page. I thought in some ways it probably brought her and the team closer together during that moment.

For us it's the communication, making sure it's the right fit, and yeah, we're thrilled that she's coming back to graduate as a Terp.

Q. For the players, what was that conversation when Laila Zoomed you all? I imagine you welcomed her back with open arms. What was the conversation to have her come back?

SAM CSIRE: Yeah, well, importantly, I think she was very vulnerable, and we also -- we don't know what went on in her life. She's far from home, and I get that. It's tough.

We kind of heard her story and we understood where she was coming from, and we respect that she was able to do that in front of us.

I think it grew our friendship a tremendous amount.

SYDNEY DOWLER: Yeah, we all obviously love Laila. She's great. I think we all understood that it took a lot of vulnerability for her to do that, to get on a Zoom with the team and be like "Would you welcome me back?" almost. That's not an easy thing to do.

But we all welcomed her with open arms and not a thing changed. We're so happy she's back.

Q. For the players, what does it mean to you to be a role model for the next generation, and what's it like interacting with them in summer camps and after matches?

SAM CSIRE: Well, I think it's crazy because that was me like five years ago, and now I'm here.

But just interacting with the young kids at camp, they're so fun to be around. It's just a break from kind of everything. We get to teach them things, simple things, the more complex things. You get to make little friendships with kids who want to be like you one day, and it's actually inspiring.

To know that that was me at one time, and here I am, it's just kind of proof to them that it can happen.

SYDNEY DOWLER: Yeah, I feel the same. It's like a little surreal when little kids are DMing me or things like that, oh, that was me, like, that's so cute, that's so sweet of them. And they have no idea how I feel, like they're probably so scared to talk to me, things like that. But just them coming up to me, I'm like, oh, this is amazing.

I was in the same spot as them just five years ago. It's crazy to think that I'm right here now.