Head coach Warren Rensehausen is hoping that this season’s Mt. Hope volleyball team can be successful. The team has reached the Division III semifinals two of the last three years, in 2019 and 2021. There was no season in 2020 due to Covid.

Rensehausen began his coaching career 30 years ago at Fatima High School. He was coaching the Mt. Hope girls volleyball team when his son, Daniel and his Our Lady of Mount Carmel friends, James Fallon, Graham White, Christian Ferreira and Arthur Myers became freshmen in 2013. Together they created the school’s first boys volleyball team.

“The program began as a club the first year, ” he said. “We’ve been playing in Division III ever since.”

This season the Huskies are rebuilding and have just five returning players. The team lost a bunch of seniors and few underclassmen that decided to go in a different direction, said Rensehausen.

“We always seem to have a high turnover,” Rensehausen said. “We would have made a serious run otherwise.”

Coach Rensehausen still has hope that this year’s team will be special. The Huskies have 21 players trying out this season.

“It’s the largest amount to come out since 2014,” said Rensehausen.

Noah Rocha is the Huskies’ setter and senior captain. Rocha started at setter his freshman year and has held the position ever since.

“Noah went in after our injury fund match that season after our setter got hurt. “He took over that first league match and never gave up the spot,” said Rensehausen.

“Noah has got the heart of a lion,” he said. “He is as tough as nails. He’ll go after every single ball injured or not. Noah has great, great court sense and he’s really got great leadership skills.”

Rocha has stepped it up this season and has already taken a leadership role with the team.

Rick Julien, a starter for the Huskies championship basketball team, is another player that has Rensehausen very excited. He has the tall, athletic senior slated to play middle hitter for the Huskies this season.

“I’m very glad he came out,” Rensehausen said. “I’m expecting some big things from him.”

Freshman Sam Howard, another player with some height that may be able to fill in at middle or play outside hitter for the team.

Sophomores Dan Vittoria, Luke Forman and Sean Cummins played for the team last season and will be stepping into bigger roles for Huskies. Vittoria spelled Rocha at setter last season and will do so again this year.

“I threw Dan into it the fire last season when Noah had to sit out due to a close contact,” said Rensehausen. “He played three matches in one week. He played well.”

Forman and Cummins will play outside hitter for the team.

The team will host Toll Gate High School in their injury fund match on Friday at 5 p.m.