9 Feb 2024
Super League round 12 preview: League of Nations community suits Huffman
The American is part of a team drawn from around the globe who have landed in the university city to play their Volleyball in the MAAREE Women’s Super League.
Players from Brazil, Poland, Greece, Italy and the United States have come together to form a strong bond that not only powers the team’s efforts on the court, but also sees them come together off it too.
Huffman, 23, a graduate of Sienna College in New York State, has played a key role with her season total of 107 kills only bettered by team captain Juliana Pallamin’s 140.
She has also chipped in with 15 aces, 19 blocks and 95 digs for the Cambridge cause as they sit seventh in the Super League table after 11 games, with wins over London Lionhearts twice (including last time out), Coventry and Warwick Riga and Leeds Gorse.
While a little different to what she experienced growing up back home, Abby has relished widening her horizons – and made a host of great friends too.
“I was wanting to do a Masters and I also wanted to play aboard, so it was for both reasons I came to play over here,” she said. “Jean-Nicolas (Jaquet, Cambridge coach) had reached out to his contacts in the States about potential players, and that’s how the opportunity came about.
“I started looking into it and I thought it would be great. Last season was my first, and this season I have got to know everyone on the team a lot better.
“The city of Cambridge is adorable and they are lovely people here. It’s been really good to be able to see some of Europe.
“I don’t think we have a single British person on our team, with the girls coming from lots of different countries, but we have a lovely community and we hang out together as well as play together.
“We quite often go around to each other’s houses and cook and we have some great meals and learned more about each other and our cultures.
“It’s hard to pick who does the best meals, but let’s just say the Italians certainly know how to do it when it comes to pasta!”
Abby came to the UK last year to study for a Masters – and has just recently finished her course in Graphic Design.
Volleyball is something that very much runs in the Huffman family, with both her mum and dad playing to a high level.
At Siena, she played alongside Madoka Weldon, who is now also playing in the MAAREE Super League for Essex Rebels.
Abby said: “I have been playing for 12 or 13 years now, playing both for clubs and school growing up and then in Division One in College in the US.
“It’s pretty much always been my number one sport, with my parents having a big influence on me. Dad played for the US National team for a while and mum played at Baylor and the University of Oklahoma, so I was probably always going to follow in their footsteps.
“I definitely think it’s helped throughout my career as they know a lot about the game, have been able to give me advice at times and can offer some good feedback about how I have played.
“I’ve played against Madoka a few times now and it’s always good to see her and catch up with her, but unfortunately Essex have usually come out on top when we’ve played them in league games!”
This season, Abby has taken on a new challenge – and position – to help the ARU team.
Historically, she had always played as a middle blocker, but has now taken on the role of outside hitter. wearing number seven.
“It was basically because we had a lot of middles and not many outside hitters... we had something like five of one and only one of the other,” said Abby.
“I was probably the most eager out of all of us to play there, so that’s when I switched. I’m loving it and I’ve really had a fun time getting to know the position.
“I have done OK this season, but I always think I could do better – I’m always quite critical of my service receive – and there is room for improvement.
“At home, we were training and at the gym, spending three or four hours at a time, which was hard work and super-competitive.
“Over here, we are still very motivated and train hard when we can, but it is very much life first and then Volleyball, rather than Volleyball first then life.
“It’s definitely nice to have that now – and it’s made me realise just how much I do love the sport.”
This weekend, ARU host the in-form, third-in-the-table Malory Eagles at their North Cambridge Academy home in a lunchtime start tomorrow (Saturday, 1pm)
The university side will go into it looking to avenge a defeat to the same opponents in the reverse fixture just over a month ago.
On that occasion, Cambridge won the first set, but could not keep it going and the hosts powered back to win the next three.
Abby said: “Overall this season we have had a few obstacles to overcome, especially in terms of numbers, with sometimes only six players available.
“I think if we’d had a full squad to available every week then we would have done better, but we can still move up the league between now and the end of the season.
“With the games we have left, we are capable of finishing higher than we are right now and fifth spot is something that we are looking to achieve.”
To view all the weekend's Super League fixtures in full, as well as the latest stats, click here.
Follow all the weekend’s action across our social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
