Much is new for the Mt. Hope High School girls' volleyball team this fall as the Huskies have embarked on their first season after joining the ranks of the state's top tier in 2026 and now under the guidance of interim head coach Ashley Garcia.

Garcia steps in the role at the lead of the program temporarily for Lisa Lunney. However, Lunney, who gave up the immediate reins for personal reasons, remains on the staff as an assistant coach when available. Mia Pedula is a hold-over as an assistant coach while Max Riker, who assists Lunney with the MHHS boys' team in the spring, joins the staff as well.

A "military mom," in the words of Bristol Warren Athletic Director Christy Belisle, Garcia's family is soon expected to end its stay in the area. There's every expectation they will next take up an assignment overseas, meaning taking the job on a permanent basis is not in the cards. Belisle said the hope is Lunney can and/or will want to return to the post full time next fall. If not, another search will commence.

Garcia has previous coaching experience, having run high school volleyball camps and the same age group on a Naval base when the family was in Italy. She's also a certified trainer and nutritionist.

She came to the MHHS program a bit by happenstance. She and her husband Antonio, stationed in Newport as the leader of the Navy Band for the last 18 months, decided to rent a home locally after "we fell in love with Bristol." One of the families on their street was the Pedulas, Mia, of course, being a former Husky player who became an assistant to Lunney. The Garcia's daughter Evie attends elementary school in town as well.

Garcia explained, "Our neighbor across the street is Mia. And as we were getting to know the Pedulas she asked me if I would ever be interested in helping out. I was like, 'yeah, of course. Just let me know.' And over the summer, we usually travel when my daughter is out of school, and Mia sent me a text and said, 'Would you have any interest in coaching?' I'm like, 'well, yeah, I would love to.' So she told me about Coach Lunney's situation and a little bit about the team. And I got off a flight, and two days later we had tryouts."

Of Lunney's continued involvement and that of the staff as a whole, Garcia said, "She (Lunney) pops her head in here and there. She has been preparing me and helping me and letting me take the reins on getting to know the girls and getting our roster set up. And Mia has been a huge help, as well, as the assistant varsity coach. Honestly, I feel like without the two of them, it would have been really hard for me to step in. And Max is coaching the girls' JV and then he assists on varsity as well. Their expertise, it's been a total team effort."

Under Lunney's leadership, as many will know, volleyball for both genders at Mt. Hope has received a significant spark in recent years. The girls have been at or near the top of the Division II ranks and the boys just completed a back-to-back run of D-III titles this past spring.

Success, of course, has its spoils as well as its consequences, and for the MHHS girls that means elevation to Division I this fall as part of the most recent Rhode Island Interscholastic League's realignment.

The state's top grouping expands to 15 teams from 12 with the addition of the Huskies along with fellow former D-II stalwarts Barrington, Cumberland and Westerly. The hold-overs include North Kingstown, LaSalle, Portsmouth, East Providence, Coventry, South Kingstown, Chariho, Classical, Prout, Cranston West and East Greenwich. The lone departure sees Cranston East move down to D-II.

The Huskies are coming off an 18-2 overall record in 2025, which saw them finish third behind eventual league champion Westerly (21-0) and runner-up Barrington (17-4) in the D-II regular season power points ratings. Mt. Hope defeated sixth-seeded Bay View in the quarterfinals before falling to the neighboring Eagles in the semis. The loss in the final four marked the third year in a row the Huskies suffered defeat in that playoff round.

"I care more about them as people than I do what our record is, but I know that this is kind of a rebuilding year for us, too, because they lost six starting seniors. And to be moving up a division, we know we're going to see high level volleyball," Garcia said.

She continued, "And I'm so proud of what they've done already. Every single practice, I'm telling them, defense wins ballgames. Our defense is incredible, and we will outlast our opponents, regardless of their size, their speed, the offense that they have. And because I played in college at a high level, I can show them what that looks like, feels like and teach that to them. And they've already improved so much since tryouts."

A native of Texas, Garcia has vast experience in the sport. Declining invitations to walk-on at Division I programs, she played collegiately at Harding University, a NCAA Division II school located in Arkansas. She spent her youth attending volleyball camps around her home state at such places as the University of Texas-Austin. The Longhorns are a traditional power, have won five D-I national titles, the last coming in 2023.

"I've always been an athlete growing up. I've always played sports," Garcia said. "The cool thing is I know so much about the game. I was a defensive specialist and a setter. And to be that position (setter) it's kind of like being a quarterback of the team. You know a lot about every single position. You know how to coach your hitters. You know how to make them look better. And my mentality when I was playin, is that defense wins ballgames."

Upperclassmen lead the 2026 MHHS incarnation. Seniors Lillian Konz, Stella Hill, Gianna Soares, Margaret Thorp and Natasha Lightfoot along with juniors Hayden Sylvia and Evalina Minnella are the contributors returning from last fall. Joining the varsity fold in 2026 include seniors Sarah Sustakowsky and Vivienne Noonan; juniors Ava Resendes, Zemanesh Bond and Summer Komiega along with sophomore Maya Costa.

The Huskies are employing a 5-1 formation at the moment, the one being a single setter. That role is being ably filled once again by returning starter Sylvia. Garcia referred to Thorp as the Huskies' "rock star" because of her early-season form all around the court, but especially up front from her outside hitter position where she's joined by Costa. Each remains in the match all around the rotation. Lightfoot, Konz and Hill are the middle hitters. Soares and Resendes play the "libero," defensive position.

"I'm so proud of them, of what they've been able to do. The things that we've done in practice, that we've worked on, they've been adapting and implementing it immediately," said Garcia. "And every single game we've been getting better and better. And that's all we can ask for.

"I want them to hold their heads high and we're going to do some good things this season. And I care about handing the program back to Lisa, if she's able to come back, and to have been a good steward of what I've been given for developing the program, not just for this year, but for these girls that are coming up."

The top 12 teams during the regular season based on the power ratings formula qualify for the Division I playoffs.

Of making a run at a postseason berth, Garcia said, "The way we've been playing, I highly anticipate us to continue to improve. And the way that we've been competing against the top teams that we've already seen, when we play our volleyball, we frustrate teams. It's like they don't know how to defend what we have. And it's not always the prettiest volleyball, but we don't ever give up on a ball. Our defense is insane. So I'd be willing to put us up against anybody that wants to come play.

"We'll see what happens by the end of the season, but I want to help them reach whatever their goals. And the team itself, they've been great. They all get along. They support each other. It's just really fun to watch them play because they have a lot of heart."