Attacks must trust their setter's timing. Defenders must know who will cover the space beside them. Players must recognize where their teammates will be before the ball arrives. For a Hilltopper roster that defines itself as a family, the relationships developed during Garcia's first year provide the foundation for how St. Edward's intends to play in his second. 
 
"We're going to go fast offensively in terms of the balls our setters can deliver, and our defenders are going to fly around," Garcia proclaims. "We're going to play with speed defensively in the front and back row. It's going to be an exciting brand of volleyball that should produce some wins." 
 
St. Edward's enters the season with momentum after finishing 11-11 overall and 8-9 in conference play in Garcia's first season, improving by six conference wins by winning five of the Hilltoppers' final seven, including three consecutive victories to close the year. 
 
"There's a lot of energy around our program right now," Garcia says. "Given how we ended last year and the ground we covered in the spring, there's a lot of positivity and motivation to keep this program on an upward trajectory." 
 
The late-season success reflected the trust developing within the program. St. Edward's endured an 0-5 start to conference play, but remained connected, eventually working its way into contention for an LSC Tournament berth. By the final weeks, the players had become more comfortable directing one another on the court and responding collectively to adversity. 
 
"We have Year 1 under our belt and learned what worked and what didn't, what we want to keep the same, so I think we're more prepared than we were last year," Garcia says. 
 
The Hilltoppers return three All-LSC performers in outside hitters KELLI FORDING and MIA CLAY, and setter ALTHEA MORRIS. 
 
Fording earned All-LSC Second Team after leading St. Edward's with 247 kills, ranking seventh in the conference at 3.43 kills per set, and fourth in points per set at 4.01, adding 28 service aces.
 
Clay and Morris earned Honorable Mention. Clay's 165 kills on a .236 clip were third on the team, and she closed the season with double-digit kills in six of the final nine matches, punctuated by a career-high 21 in the season finale. 
 
Morris earned All-LSC recognition for the second consecutive season after directing the Hilltopper attack with 809 assists, averaging 9.75 per set, and contributed 33 service aces and 178 digs. She spent the offseason playing volleyball in Greece and Croatia, competing against a more physical international style to sharpen her game and grow as a leader for the upcoming season. 
 
"Having more experience and learning more about myself, my leadership and confidence will open so many doors for me," Morris says. "I think I can command the court better this year." 
 
Libero GISELLE OJEDA joined Fording and Morris on the LSC Preseason Players to Watch list. Ojeda anchors an experienced defensive group that also returns BEA ANGELES, BRENNA HEFFRON, and DELANEY GREGORY. The depth allows the Hilltoppers to cover open space aggressively with multiple options across a long season that opens with 10 consecutive road matches. 
 
Angeles hopes the team's depth and five-player freshman class will raise the level of competition in the gym. 
 
"I'm hoping we have a more competitive nature," Angeles says. "I really hope that with five new freshmen, it lights a fire under everyone so we can push each other to get better." 
 
St. Edward's added transfers KARA WYNN and BELLA BRICENO during the spring, giving the group time to develop connections while competing against several Division I programs. 
 
"They showed in the spring that they're impact players for us," Garcia says. "We had a really productive spring, competing at a high level against some Division I programs." 
 
Wynn, a 6-foot outside hitter from nearby Pflugerville, was drawn to St. Edward's by the same relationships the Hilltoppers believe will support their style of play.
 
"It was mostly the team culture," Wynn says. "It was very exciting to see how close everybody is. We're all on the same wavelength." 
 
The freshman class of MADI ZIEGLER, BAILEY O'DELL, IVY WACLAWCZYK, MACY PHILLIPS, and HEIDI TORGERSON brings additional energy and high-level prep and club experience. The group spent the year leading up to its arrival developing relationships with one another, while returning players have worked to ease the transition into college volleyball. 
 
"I believe to be strong on the court, you have to be strong with your teammates," Ziegler says. "All the freshmen have been committed for a year; we've been talking, and we're super close, and all of the upperclassmen have been super welcoming." 
 
That connection will be tested immediately at the Bahama House Classic in Daytona Beach, where they start against No. 16-ranked Missouri Western. After the four-match tournament, the Hilltoppers travel to Colorado for a quartet of games, including against host UCCS, which sits just outside the top 25 in the national rankings. 
Things don't get any easier in the LSC, where the Hilltoppers have home matches against nationally-ranked West Texas A&M (20) and Angelo State (21) and a Dallas Baptist squad receiving national votes. 
 
If St. Edward's wants to rise from its 11th-place prediction in the LSC Preseason Poll, the Hilltoppers must spin their relationships into on-court consistency. Their speed must remain connected rather than hurried, with all six players reading and reacting together. Garcia believes that collective approach will matter more than any individual recognition.
 
"We're going to lean on all 19 on our roster to continue the improvement and growth of our culture," Garcia reiterates. "We have a lot of confidence in the entire roster to do that. It's going to be a team effort, and we're all going to pitch in." 
 
For St. Edward's, that culture isn't separate from its volleyball identity; it's what makes that identity possible: relationships that create trust, trust that produces confident decisions, and six players moving together quickly enough to appear as one.