San Diego Player of the Week : Hughes Finds the Time to Become Volleyball Star

A lot is demanded of students at Francis Parker High School. They are expected to excel academically and in a variety of extracurricular activities.

Tracy Hughes, a senior at Parker, knows about those demands. Hughes carries a 4.0 grade-point average, serves as student body vice president and a yearbook editor. And Saturday, Hughes, The Times’ Player of the Week, will lead Parker into the Small Schools state volleyball finals against San Jose Valley Christian. Parker (30-2) could be the first San Diego team to win the state volleyball championship.

“She’s a great team leader,” Parker Coach John Cook said. “She’s our captain and she sets a great example to the rest of the players with her high standard of hard work.”

The state title has been Hughes’ goal since Parker lost in the semifinals to Southern California Christian High last year.

“We lost and we were crushed,” Hughes said. “We had a lot of seniors on the team and I saw how they were all crying. . . . I told myself there was no way that was going to happen this year.”

Hughes made volleyball her top priority this semester. She has 467 kills this season, shattering the school record of 307.

The greatest obstacle for Parker and for Hughes herself may have been in the semifinals against Brentwood, when she served for match point.

“I remembered when we played them last year, I was serving match point and I served it into the net,” she said. “This year, I was serving match point again--and I served into the net. . . . It’s like we’re up, 14-6, and all of a sudden the net grows and the court shrinks and it’s just impossible to get your serve in.”

Brentwood rallied, eventually closing the gap to 14-13. Again, it was Hughes’ turn to serve for match point. This time, however, she blasted it through for an ace.

“I just threw my hands up in the air,” she said. “I was so glad it was over.”

With only one high school match remaining, Hughes is weighing her options for college, which include Stanford, UCLA and San Diego State. A championship would obviously be the perfect end to her high school career.

“Our coach just kept telling us that we have the ability and we have the mental attitude that’s going to win it,” she said. “He’s been there before and I’ve been there before and we know we can do it.”

Tracy Hughes

Parker High

Position: Outside Hitter

Height, Class: 5-9, Sr.

Last Week: Had 31 kills and a service ace on match point, as Parker defeated Brentwood, 15-11, 15-12, 12-15, 15-13, in the semifinals of the state volleyball championship playoffs, Small Schools division.