St. Edward's volleyball head coach Jeremy Garcia grew up immersed in Austin volleyball, gaining a front-row view of the Texas Longhorns while accompanying his mother to work at the University of Texas, competing in the city's highly competitive club system, and returning home years later to take on his first head coaching job.
 
So, Garcia is no stranger to St. Edward's rich volleyball history, nor is he shy about his ambitions for returning the program to its lofty heights. 
 
"We're not afraid to talk about goals for our program and what we believe we can achieve over the next few years, and year one is about making the conference tournament," Garcia proclaims. "We want to be one of the top eight teams in what we believe is the best conference in the country, then use that as a launch pad to get this program back where it belongs."
 
The Hilltoppers enter the season ranked No. 13 in a Lone Star Conference that includes two programs ranked in the top 10 of the AVCA National Preseason Rankings (No. 2 Angelo State and No. 8 West Texas A&M) following a 10-17 season that mirrored many of its matches in that it started strong and faltered late.
 
St. Edward's lost five five-setters last season, jumping out to early leads but failing to close out its opponents. While injuries that decimated the team's back row contributed to the team's struggles, a young roster consisting of seven sophomores and six first-years factored heavily into last year's inconsistency. 
 
"Five-setters aren't easy, and we'd like to avoid those as much as possible. So, this year is about learning what consistency means for each individual and as a team," Garcia says. "If we put ourselves in a position where we win two sets early, what does finishing look like? Last year's record doesn't reflect the roster. This group is incredibly talented and ready for expectations and the work required to meet them."
 
Central to building that consistency is sophomore setter and team captain ALTHEA MORRIS, who Garcia describes as the type of setter coaches can develop programs and systems around. Morris finished fifth in the LSC in assists (1,001) and assists per set (10.21), orchestrating a balanced attack to earn All-LSC Honorable Mention and LSC All-Freshman Team honors. 
 
"I needed to learn to trust everyone around me, build good relationships, and learn what everyone was going to do on the court and how I could help them the most," Morris recalls. "As I grew more comfortable, it helped me find my role on the team and step up as a leader. Everyone was new to each other last year, but we had a spring together and almost everyone returned, so we have a stronger connection and a mindset that we can compete with anyone."
 
The spring schedule served as a reset for the team with the arrival of Garcia and a return to health for the rest of the roster. 
 
GISELLE OJEDA emerged as the team's libero and an LSC Preseason Defensive Player to Watch after leading the Hilltoppers with 2.91 digs per set in an injury-shortened fall season. The team also gained more chemistry between Morris and its front row, anchored by four returning hitters who totaled 175 or more kills. 
 
ADDY BADLEY, St. Edward's Preseason Offensive Player to Watch, recorded 178 kills and led the top four hitters with a .232 hitting percentage. MIA CLAY returns after a team-high 288 kills that earned her LSC All-Freshman honors in her debut season.
 
"From our first spring game, everything was so different from how we finished in the fall. Everything was so much better: our communication, our play, all of it," Clay exclaims. "It helps when everyone has the same mindset of wanting to grow and improve together. When our relationships and culture are good, the play follows. Everyone has bought in with all the energy from the new coaching staff." 
 
In addition to Garcia, the new coaching staff includes two former NCAA Division I athletes, assistant Taylan Cook and volunteer assistant Jayden Nembhard, as well as a high-level club player, Richard Flores. 
 
"As a new head coach, you never know what it's going to be like taking over a program. From the jump, this group has been about wanting change and a different experience," Garcia says. "They were willing to have the difficult conversations about what they were willing to give to get that. They've bought into what we're trying to do and how we put ourselves in the conversation with the rest of the competition in the conference."