BIOGRAPHY
Sara Hughes is a 6x National American Beach Volleyball Champion. She was the first 4x All-American in beach volleyball history and holds the record for the most consecutive wins (103). Hughes went undefeated with teammate Kelly Cheng; she achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 2 in August 2023. Hughes is a current member of Team USA and has won six tournaments on the AVP Pro Tour and seven gold medals, one silver medal, and three bronze medals on the FIVB World Tour/Pro Beach Tour.
Born in Long Beach, California, on February 14, 1995, she attended the University of Southern California where she won numerous tournaments on the AAU and CBVA circuits and competed in various youth Team USA events, winning medals at the U19 and U21 World Championships and gold at the World University Games.
Hughes was the first athlete ever, to accept a full four-year scholarship to play beach volleyball at the collegiate level. At USC, she studied Business Administration and earned a Master’s in Entrepreneurship. She was active in community outreach and coached youth camps at USC.
Hughes is dedicated to the growth of beach volleyball and serves on the Board of Directors for USA Volleyball and the Misty May-Treanor Ohana Foundation.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SARAH
How do you motivate yourself to stick to a goal when you know it’s going to take a longer amount of time to reach?
The best things take time. As an athlete, I know it’s rare to gain immediate gratification in your sport. The journey of working hard and pursuing what you want most is the most rewarding. If you keep going when things get tough, the end goal always means so much more.
What advice do you have for any non-professional or student-athletes who strive to reach your level of success in sports?
Never give up and keep going. There are going to be tough days but it is important to remember why you are doing it. You have to remember to enjoy the process and have fun. Nutritionally, you have to find what works best for your body. It is important to cater your strength and fitness goals to who you are. Optimum Nutrition is the best brand, offering a variety of high-quality supplements to help you find what can best help you unlock more.
SARAH'S FAVORITE PRODUCT
Gold Standard 100% Isolate protein powder supports muscle and recovery3 with 25g of ultra-filtered whey protein and 5.5g of naturally occurring BCAAs per serving.
The culmination of years of expert research and development, we employ a cutting-edge separation process that removes excess fat, cholesterol, sugars, and other materials – leaving behind only 0.5g of total fat and 1g of carbs per serving. The result is a fast-digesting protein suitable for any athlete who carefully tracks every detail of their daily macro intake – from daily runners to professional physique competitors. It’s everything you’ve come to expect from Optimum Nutrition: The World’s #1 Sports Nutrition Brand4.
REACH YOUR POTENTIAL
Everyone has goals, let us help you with yours