BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL MEDIA DAYS

August 3, 2026

Adam Hughes

Sydney Bryant

Annika Sokol

Maryland Terrapins

Press Conference

ADAM HUGHES: Excited to be here with two of our senior leaders coming off a very, very tough season for us last year. But I'm thankful we've got a new energy about us, new vibe. I think we've got some lofty goals and I think we've got the right underdog mentality. We know where we've been put in terms of pecking order in the conference, and it's our goal to get back and make sure we earn our pride.

Q. When you were just talking about the good vibes right now, what does it say about the team and the leadership to say, hey, we're just going to turn this chapter for this upcoming 2026 season and keeping things positive for this team, with trying to turn a new leaf?

ADAM HUGHES: Yeah, I think we went into the offseason and just kind of hit it. I don't think we were necessarily trying to be too soft with a lot of good conversations, just about where we were. Huge change in staff, big change in roster.

And in a lot of ways, I think one of the things this group did a really good job of was integrating the freshmen. We have six freshmen now who came in and five of them were here in January. So that helped us out.

I think we did a really good job of stabilizing things and trying to let go of the past. And we're not trying to get back to where we were. We had three years where we had winning seasons and had eight or nine Top 25 wins. But we realize we've got a lot of work to do to get back to those days.

I don't think we're trying to replicate the past. I think we're trying to create a new chapter. I leaned heavily on these seniors to do it.

I like where the vibe is right now. I like the energy. Our practices just feel different, and we're only four days in, but I'm definitely optimistic about having a great season.

Q. For the seniors, how have you kind of taken that momentum that underdog mentality, the vibes that are good and used that throughout this summer in anticipation of this 2026 season?

ANNIKA SOKOL: I think it's something we're all really excited for. I think what's really cool about the vibe of on your group is we're all on board for it. So when the whole team is on board for it, it makes it so much easier to push the narrative and believe it ourselves.

And I think because of that we're really hungry for more this season. And I think it could be possible because we're all on the same page and we've got people who want it, and that's what you need in a program.

SYDNEY BRYANT: I agree with Anni, I think this preseason we've been operating with this "hungry dogs run faster" type of mentality. We know how last season went, but you we're ready to move and we're ready to show people what we can do. And we know that we're the underdogs, so we're ready to go get some people -- do some things that people don't necessarily expect.

Q. You have four of your top five point scorers returning, top two blockers. What pieces are you missing to get back there? What are you looking for?

ADAM HUGHES: I thought we had a lot of talent last year and we just couldn't put it together. We knew it was a bit of a transition.

I had eight seniors two years ago and last year was going to be the big change. Then we had a big recruiting class coming in this year. We had a Top 25, top 20 team coming in.

We were trying to bridge that gap last year with some transfers and some growing vets. Just too many question marks. Too inexperienced.

I think, to be honest with you, I don't think I lost my way, but I feel the way college sports are, sometimes as coaches we feel like we have to be CEOs. And I've changed gears. I've gone back to my passion, and my passion is coaching.

And maybe I'll make some mistakes in terms of supporting the program. But the reality is, I got back to what I loved doing most in pouring into these guys.

So what do we need? I think we have a lot of depth now. We've got some seniors that have been through it. Those guys want to leave this place better than they found it. So the mentality is right there.

And then I think you can ask them, the freshman class is very talented. It will be an interesting season just to see how those guys emerge. But I think when you hear those guys talk about how connected they are already, that's got me very optimistic for the year.

Q. You mentioned the difference, how have you seen that manifest (indiscernible) and the considerations?

SYDNEY BRYANT: I think our practices have been extremely competitive. It's so hard to score because everyone's going all out, everyone's working their butts off to get every ball.

And it's exciting to see it. As a hitter, of course, it's frustrating. You're trying to get a kill, but it's so good to know that everybody's giving their all into every point, treating every point, like it means the same. It's really exciting.

ANNIKA SOKOL: Totally. And to add on to that, I think we are really setting a standard for how we want to play and what's acceptable in our gym and how we're going to continue to push ourselves to grow.

You have to be tough sometimes, but because we're all connected, we are able to take it as what it is and know it's for the betterment of the team.

There's no harsh feelings even on hard days. So our competition and our skills just get better through keeping each other accountable and having those competitive practices as Sydney has mentioned.

Q. Adam said he wants to go back to his love of coaching rather than maybe that kind of CEO-type coach. Have you seen that change? And what does that look like from a player's perspective?

ANNIKA SOKOL: Yeah, I think that change is really evident. I think it was evident the second we came back from the spring. I think Coach Hughes came back with this, hey, we can acknowledge last season, but we're better than this, we're gonna push through together as a unit to get through this and to be where we want to be.

I think he's been preaching earning our pride this season specifically. It's just all about embodying the team and coming together to be selfless. And you can see it with the new staff he's hired as well. It's a very complementary group.

And I think that because of that it's just a very team-oriented place. Even before we came here, we met as a team about the goals we wanted to get across to the rest of the Big Ten, to everyone else in our conference, to the fans, it's very team-oriented this year. And I think that's exactly to what Hughes was kind of alluding to in his change as well.

SYDNEY BRYANT: I agree. I think there's been a huge emphasis on the Big Ten is tough, but we're gonna get through it together. Everybody's gonna be important this season. And I think just that emphasis on being a team throughout it and leaning on each other. Everyone's gonna have their day has been a big thing.

Q. Coach, talk about the two young ladies next to you, what great people they are and why you brought them here?

ADAM HUGHES: It's probably two different types of humans, obviously, just in how they're wired, but the journeys and how they are here today is also why I brought them.

You know, Syd B. is someone who is local to our area and grew up being a Maryland supporter. And we want the best in our area to come support us.

And she's been through some challenges with some injuries, even in her club days, and then an unfortunate setback a while. And she's shown that resilience that the team needs.

Last year was a challenging year for us, and I think she's been a role model. And she's an incredible leader for us this spring.

And I think sometimes seniors can go in different directions. Sometimes they go towards me and this is my last year, and what is this gonna look like? And I think Syd's kind of the opposite. I think she's just wired how this is my last opportunity. And I'm gonna make the most of it and she's poured into everybody else.

Then Anni came here through a long journey of a couple of different stops. I recruited her a little bit when she was a high school player. I think the perspective that she's brought from outside to in, that's what college athletics demands of you now.

It's not just homegrown talent. It's also what additions can you make. And I think, first and foremost, I brought two great people here to this press conference.

Q. Sydney, can we follow up on what Coach brought up about growing up and rooting for the Terrapins and having that connection where it's home and really wanting to put the stamp on this upcoming season?

SYDNEY BRYANT: I played for Metro Volleyball Club. So naturally, like a lot of the girls were coming to Maryland after playing for Metro. I was going and supporting them.

I fell in love with Maryland volleyball. As I was going through my recruiting process, I realized it was pretty important to me to be able to represent my home state, stay close to home.

And it just kind of felt like a full-circle moment. So I'm very grateful for the opportunity to play for Maryland.

Q. The 5-for-5 rule, are you having conversations about possible future, or are you waiting for after the season? How are you handling this latest new rule change?

ADAM HUGHES: It seems like things are moving so fast, even before, not on that rule, but then there was the 2022s and we're on the flight here and got a new termination on what that meant. So it's kind of a juggling act.

We did it traditional route. We've actually begun it through academics. What are your options here? What do you want to do? And then let's have those discussions as this year goes on.

But I'll be honest with you, I think we're really focused on this year. I haven't really discussed future years, to be very transparent.

Q. (Off microphone)

SYDNEY BRYANT: It was great.

Q. Now that she's transferred into the league, happy about that? And the third is, how come you didn't get her to come home?

ADAM HUGHES: I tried. I tried.

SYDNEY BRYANT: Yeah. I think it's exciting. I'm excited to play against her. She's an amazing player. She's an even better human being. She's so cool.

But I love seeing my Metro girls and my Flint Hill girls in the Big Ten. I think it's always so exciting to get to play people that I've played with.

Q. Who are the others?

SYDNEY BRYANT: Emmi Sellman.

ADAM HUGHES: It's been fun, too. Reilly's older sister has been in the gym. Ryla has been here with us in the summer. They're Maryland people through and through. So I'll root for Ryla so long as it's not against us.

Q. (Off microphone)

ADAM HUGHES: The whole staff is new, honestly. I think Becca, she's moving on into the love space, but she helped me in this transition. She helped in the hiring process. I hired Fran, who was someone was a volunteer for us. He had a great mentality of what this place was. He's been on his journey as a coach. I was happy to bring him back.

Honestly, we hired a new strength coach. He's been phenomenal. Talk about a culture builder. He's been at every practice. He cares deeply. When we were looking for another assistant, he was the one who connected us and said, hey, if you need someone who is all about discipline and energy and just gonna uplift the gym a little bit, Mike's your guy.

And I trust good people. I'm really glad I made that decision. You can ask these guys, the energy from the staff is different. We needed that. We just needed a change of pace.

Q. (Off microphone)

ADAM HUGHES: I'm a turtle, right? I'm slow and steady. Just staying with it. I think it keeps you young. I'm not really that old. But to your point before, rules keep changing and you just keep trying to figure out how to reestablish your roster.

That 5-for-5 does change things down the road and what does that look like? We had to learn in COVID how some of the super teams were built quickly. So we're trying to be strategic in that.

But my hunger is high. Last year professionally hurt. Might have been something that was necessary for me in my development. You know I want this more than probably anyone would know. You could probably ask my wife about that. I love this conference. It's all I've known. And I want to be here to stay.

Q. What role do you see NIL and revenue sharing going and what challenges does that create when you have this setting?

ADAM HUGHES: It's changed the conversations very quickly. To my point about feeling like a CEO, some of our sports don't have this GM to kind of protect against that. So you find yourself as this weird middle person where you're trying to be a mentor, you're trying to coach, you're trying to have some discussions that are kind of hard to have.

So that is where I felt like I got stuck trying to navigate that. Now I realize that my job's to win games and get these guys to win games. I'm gonna do the best I can by pouring into them and into our culture and try to use the support staff at the university to have some more of those conversations.

Q. I want you to share the story especially for the rest, your relationship with Matt Rhule.

ADAM HUGHES: I was maybe 13 years old, just finished Little League. I had four college students who were my baseball coaches, and one of them happened to be Matt Rhule. So we were the Bad News Bears. We played, I think, 14 games. We were 0-7, and Coach Rhule was still the happy-go-lucky high energy on a Saturday morning. I don't know how he was pulling it off.

And I'm happy to say, we flipped the script and we got to 7-7, and we had a great celebration. I don't mean this to say something nice about myself, but I was named the MVP, and he gave me an award. And the award was a slice of pizza to my face.

He just rubbed it all over me. But he's been great. I've emailed him when he was at the Panthers; he responded. It's cool to see him. I'm also rooting for him as well.