By Brian Gosset
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
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As the metroplex continues to grow, new high schools are setting up their foundation. The newest school this year was the Prosper Richland Raiders.
I can only imagine a long list of candidates for their first-ever volleyball coach and one of their phone calls reached Amber Hughes.
Hughes, an established coach in the area, had wrapped up her fifth season with Mansfield Lake Ridge – leading the varsity team to the District 3-6A championship, its first district title since 2017 and first outright title in program history.
Lake Ridge’s 38 wins last season were also most all-time.
So it was hard to leave for Hughes.
“It was really hard. I loved Lake Ridge,” said Hughes, who went on to say that one reason it made sense to go to Richland was to be closer to her mom. “I had returned 10 over there so it wasn’t like they were all graduating. When I took over, it was a well established program under Jessica Tyler, who did a great job and is one of my dear friends – I’m lucky to say that.”
Unlike Lake Ridge where Hughes has 10 returners and knows the ins and outs of the school, she and her Richland players had something in common in the off-season – everything was new.
They got to experience that together and for Hughes, it being new was very exciting to her.
“I was up here every day in the summer and we got to know each other more and more,” Hughes said. “The best part was they got to see me as a coach, but they also got to see the human side.”
Richland has 14 on the varsity roster with no seniors and one junior. Hughes has eight sophomores and five freshmen so the next 2-3 years are definitely bright for the program.
The Raiders are 17-16 and finished in a tie for third place in District 9-4A. They were the #2 seed in D1 and will host Irving North Hills Prep in the bi-district round.
“We played a lot of 5A and 6A schools in the preseason and we talked about our record and how we shouldn’t be concerned about that – it couldn’t be the indicator of our measure,” Hughes said. “We told them to stay in their own bubble and to see their own growth, and all of it would come together. They went into the district on a mission to prove themselves because nobody had high expectations for us but us and they really took that to heart. They believed in what we’re building and it’s fun to see it grow from the ground up.”
Among the team leaders are 2028 Reese Mahar with over 350 kills while Mahar, 2028 Ainsley Standiford and 2029 Reagan Oliver all have over 40 aces. 2028 Rory Duitsman has a team-high 514 digs and Mahar adds nearly 400. Hughes’ top two in assists are both freshmen in Oliver and Baylee Hardy who have combined for 700 on the year.
“It’s special because we’re the first ones to do it in this gym,” Hughes said about the first playoff game at their home arena. “They’ve exceeded expectations. We came into district shooting for third or fourth. Every game was very close at the end and it made us better every time no matter if we came out with a win or loss.”
