By Art Garcia
Photos by Thanin Viriyaki
Audree Hughes was living her version of a volleyball fairy tale earlier this year. Southlake Carroll won its first state championship last fall, with Hughes earning all-tournament team recognition. She followed up that ultimate on-court success by committing in March to play collegiately at Providence.
Life was good.
But just nine days after her commitment, Hughes tore the ACL and meniscus in her left knee in a club volleyball match.
“I had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in four months,” Hughes said.
Her senior season at Carroll would take a new path. Rehab became the priority. She wouldn’t be on the court helping the Dragons defend their title. She took a spot on the bench next to her coaches, charting plays and studying the game she loves instead of spiking balls through opponents.
The injury took away playing for Carroll this season, but didn’t stop Hughes from being part of the team. She learned to contribute while sidelined, with help from fellow Dragons Vanessa Glenn and Abigail Clem, who missed their junior years due to injuries. Glenn and Clem worked tirelessly to return to the court this season, an example that resonates with Hughes and throughout the Carroll program.
“It was just hard to watch kids that you like so much have injuries that were going to take them so long to heal because all three of these kids are just so talented and so wonderful,” Carroll coach Leslie Jackson said.
Audree Hughes
These three Carroll seniors haven’t found their roles with the Dragons on the same script. They’ve had to navigate physical and mental obstacles while staying focused on the present and what comes after high school. Hughes is learning to understand volleyball from a different vantage point. During matches, she charts and studies opposing defenses to recognize tendencies she may have missed while playing.
“I’ve really been trying to find different ways to contribute to my team,” Hughes said. “Because I know I can’t play, but I can still be a leader from the outside of the court.”
Her teammates back from their respective surgeries know what that means. Clem missed her entire junior season after tearing her ACL, MCL, both menisci and medial patellofemoral ligament during club volleyball. During the Dragons’ state championship run, Clem helped the squad prepare by serving in practice, running drills and charting shots from the bench.
“It really sucked that I didn’t get to play and contribute in that way,” Clem said. “But it was just great to be a part of our team culture and all the energy and the togetherness.”
She also powered through extensive rehabilitation, including a meniscus setback, to return to club play and eventually Carroll’s lineup.
Clem offers Hughes more than encouragement: firsthand knowledge of a long, frustrating recovery road. The two have talked about surgery, physical therapy and the heartache of not being able to play.
“We definitely communicated a lot about that kind of stuff,” Clem said.
Jackson noticed the significance of their connection, as Clem had returned from her knee injury just as Hughes hurt her knee.
“She kind of had a compadre that had been through those exact steps,” Jackson said. Glenn felt the same frustration. A stress fracture in her shin and ensuing surgery kept her sidelined as a junior. The recovery from surgery in September 2025 left her unable to walk for a spell and she was unable to attend some matches.
Even harder to stomach was not playing alongside teammates and friends she’s known for years on the way to 2025’s championship.
“It was kind of sad because the girls that were on the team last year, I’ve known for so long, and I wasn’t able to play with them last year,” Glenn said, “and I felt like I missed out on a lot.”
After months of rehabilitation, Glenn returned and has enjoyed her senior season.
Committed to Temple, she has a renewed appreciation for being back on the court.
“This is the first season I’ve had where I’m technically healed,” Glenn said. “Now I had a full district season and playoff season as a senior, it feels nice.”
Glenn has urged Hughes to be patient, reminding her that returning healthy is what matters most.
“Being healthy for club and even college is a lot more important,” Glenn said. “You have time to heal.”
As high school winds down, each player is looking ahead. Glenn will head to Temple, Clem to Case Western, with plans of becoming a doctor, and Hughes to Providence. Their volleyball careers may have been altered, but they’ve also discovered something new.
“I learned how to support people in a different way,” Clem said. “I learned how to ask for help.”
For Hughes, Carroll’s championship remains a bittersweet memory.
“I can’t believe my last time playing for Southlake Carroll was winning a state championship,” she said. “That’s the last time playing on the court for Coach Jackson, and I’m still super sad that she’s never gonna be able to coach me on the court again, so I’ve just really been taking it in all this season.”
Some fairy tales have different endings.