Home is where the heart is, and for St. Edward's Volleyball head coach Jeremy Garcia, that place has always been Austin, Texas, near his family and friends.
 
Garcia grew up on the University of Texas campus, where his mother, Stephanie DeMunburn, worked with the athletics department. It was there that Garcia established his love for volleyball and earned his first opportunity to coach, serving as a student assistant under Longhorn head coach Jerritt Elliott. 
 
Those lifelong friends and family traded their burnt orange for St. Edward's blue and gold to watch Garcia lead the Hilltoppers to a 3-1 victory over UT Dallas in his first home game as a head coach. 
 
"It means a lot. A significant reason for taking this job – aside from the potential of what I think this program can be – was the opportunity to do it in front of my family and friends," St. Edward's head volleyball coach Jeremy Garcia says. "In this profession, you don't always get to return to where your roots are, so doing the job I love right here in Austin makes this a whole lot of fun."
 
The RAC was packed with students from the campus dormitories celebrating Residence Hall Night, as well as players' families who had made the trip to Austin. But Garcia's cheering section was among the loudest, watching their loved one start his coaching career in his hometown.
 
Among those in attendance were James Dziedzic and his wife Jessica. Dziedzic taught Garcia in fourth grade and coached him in middle school football, and remained friends of the family. 
 
"It was incredible to watch him win his first game at home. In some ways, it was a highlight for me personally, because I got to see a good kid I taught chase his dream and achieve it here," Dziedzic says. "Volleyball has been a massive part of his life, and I watched all the hard work he put into it, so to see him succeed–I was grinning the entire game. My wife was already a huge volleyball fan, so she was animated the entire match." 
 
Garcia's parents, Demunbrun and Frank Garcia, were also in attendance, tearing up as they watched their son fulfill a lifelong dream. 
 
"When he was like five, he'd put on a jacket to watch games on TV, pretending to write on a clipboard, and talking to the couch, which was his bench. Sometimes he'd even stand up and throw down his clipboard," Demunbrun recalls. "To see him now, it was so exciting. We're so proud." 
 
"The atmosphere was amazing with all the college kids," Frank Garcia adds. "I was worried I'd have to leave for work before it ended, but they bounced back from the second set in fine form. It was so rewarding." 
 
St. Edward's Volleyball Aces Home-Opening Week


 
Sophomore setter ALTHEA MORRIS set the tone for St. Edward's 2-0 opening homestand, recording four service aces in the first set of a four-set victory over UT Dallas. Morris led the conference with 10 aces last week and finished second with 80 assists.
 
"For me, it's aim small, miss small. I just want to be aggressive with my serves and confident in my ability to hit specific spots," Morris says. "I'm confident in myself and I know my teammates will back me up." 
 
St. Edward's combined precision and power to keep the Comets on their heels all match, recording 17 aces, tied for the eighth most in NCAA Division II play this season. The Hilltoppers lead the Lone Star Conference in aces per set (2.53) through the first few weeks of the season, ranking 20th nationally. KELLI FORDING (0.63) and Morris (0.53) rank first and fifth in aces per set.
 
"We probably spend more time than the kids would like on serving during the week, but it's with intent. Knowing we're not the largest team, we have to find advantages where we can. I think our serve-pass game will be our strength this year," Garcia says. "We talk a lot about the angle of the serve, where we want the ball to go, and how specific we can be with our target. The team is buying in, and you can see the success so far. You don't want to stress aces, but we want to put the other team in uncomfortable situations to keep an advantage as long as possible."
 
St. Edward's opens conference play on the road on Friday at UT Permian Basin, followed by a Saturday match against No. 20 Angelo State.