Virginia Beach, VA – The Regent University Athletic Department is pleased to announce the hiring of MaTia Hughes as the new Head Women's Volleyball Coach. Hughes, who will also be in charge of the Beach program, brings a combination of high-level playing experience, proven coaching success, and strong leadership to the Royals program.
Hughes most recently served as Program Head and Head Varsity Coach at The Walker School in Marietta, Georgia, where she led her team to back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances in the state playoffs in 2024 and 2025 while compiling an impressive 60–36 overall record. Her ability to build competitive, disciplined teams has been evident throughout her coaching career at both the high school and club levels.
"We are pleased to announce MaTia Hughes as our next head women's volleyball coach", said Director of Athletics, Michael W. Allen. "As a former student-athlete, she competed at both the NCAA Division III and Division I levels and has been a successful club and high school coach. MaTia impressed me from our very first conversation and I know she fully supports and understands Regent's mission of creating Christian leaders to change the world. MaTia is going to be instrumental in continuing to recruit mission-fit student athletes, and I have full confidence we will continue to move the needle under her direction."
In addition to her work at The Walker School, Hughes has been actively involved in elite club volleyball, currently serving as a head coach with A5 Volleyball and Tsunami Cobb Volleyball Club. Her teams have consistently performed at a high level, earning multiple runner-up finishes in major tournaments, including the Southern Power League, Hub City Classic, and other top regional events.
Hughes also previously served as Director of Volleyball Operations and Head Varsity/JV Coach at Notre Dame Academy in Duluth, Georgia. During her tenure, she guided the program to a region championship and an Elite Eight state appearance in 2022, followed by another strong postseason showing in 2023. Her earlier coaching experience includes roles with Atlanta Extreme Volleyball Club and Sugar Hill Christian Academy, where she developed athletes across multiple age groups and competition levels.
As a player, Hughes competed at both the Division I and Division III levels. She began her collegiate career at New York University, where she earned AVCA All-New York Region honors and Honorable Mention All-American recognition in 2014, along with multiple weekly defensive awards. She later continued her career at West Virginia University as a defensive specialist competing in Division I volleyball.
Hughes also brings a strong academic and leadership background, holding a Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law and a bachelor's degree in political science from West Virginia University. While at Wake Forest, she remained actively engaged in volleyball as both a player and coach for the university's club team, demonstrating her commitment to the sport alongside her academic pursuits.
Hughes will take over a team that won 17 games last season and qualified for the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.
