2012: Hughes and Day competed in four FIVB tournaments, then in the season finale in Thailand Day partnered with Summer Ross and played in her first FIVB main draw, as the pair placed 17th. Hughes and Day won one Norceca event together. Domestically Hughes and Day finished 13th in their only AVP event, and won one other domestic tournament. 
2011: Hughes and Day played in 10 domestic events on three tours, with a best of third on each tour. The duo also won the USA IDQ in Playa del Rey. Internationally the duo finished fourth in an FIVB Challenger as well as in the Pan American Games. They placed second in a Norceca event and competed in two FIVB events.
2010: Hughes teamed with Alicia Zamparelli for one AVP qualifier. Hughes and Day played in an AVP Young Guns event, winning in Hermosa Beach. Internationally, Hughes played in one FIVB Challenger event with Michelle Moriarty, advancing from the qualifier and finishing seventh. Hughes and Moriarty also placed fourth in a Norceca event.
2009: Hughes did not compete.
2008: Hughes and Day played one qualifier together but did not advance to the main draw,
2007: Making her pro beach volleyball debut in Long Beach in July 2007 while still in college, Hughes and her partner Emily Day established an AVP record for the lowest-seeded team to advance from the qualifier (seeded 54th) as well as for the youngest team to do so (combined age just over 41 years).

College: An opposite hitter at LMU, Hughes received all-West Coast Conference honors each of her first three seasons, including first-team selections as a sophomore and junior. After her sophomore season she was named the school's co-Female Athlete of the Year. After three seasons she already ranked third in career aces. In high school Hughes was twice an all-state player. She was an alternate on the USA Junior National Team and an A-2 team member.

Personal: Hughes has an older sister, Kristen, who played college volleyball at Cornell, and a younger brother, Taylor. Her father, Bill, played volleyball at El Camino College and Long Beach State while her mother, Lori, was a tennis player at Cal-Santa Barbara.