EAST PROVIDENCE — The East Providence High School girls' volleyball team, a long ago power in the state's top tier, took a step back prior to last season with the intention of once again being able to compete at the Division I level sometime in the near future.

And what a decision, what a year 2022 turned out to be.

The Townies not only regained their footing as a program, they made it all the way to the Division II championship match before succumbing to a superb and slightly superior Chariho squad. The Chargers capped a perfect fall, finishing at 18-0 overall following their decisive 3-0 win over EP at Rhode Island College.

East Providence's record a year ago was none too shabby either. The Townies placed second to Chariho both in the regular season standings (13-2 to 15-0) and ultimately in the postseason (25-18, 25-9 and 26-24).

Though the locals did not offer up their best performance in the finale, they could take some solace knowing they were among the few teams to push the Chargers at all last fall, losing their regular season match to Chariho in five tight sets (24-26, 25-16, 21-25, 25-22, 15-11).

"Last year made volleyball fun again. It's really is what it was," said Alex Butler, who is entering his 23rd season as either the assistant or head coach of the EPHS program. "And it's not just about the winning. It felt different because of the fans and the support we got from the students and the community. Obviously, the support goes hand-in-hand with winning in some respects, but it felt like we were doing something really positive again.

"It was part of the rebuild. It's why we went down a division, to start to make our way back up. The difference between this year and last year was that group had never won before, so they had to figure out how to win, how to be successful. This year, with this core group we have coming back, it's nice to have won, but they didn't have to lead. The seniors did that last year. This year's group has to figure out how to lead and do so pretty quickly."

Turning the page to 2023, EPHS graduated five seniors who were among the key contributors to last year's club, though the Townies return nearly as many crucial cogs led by seniors Kate Bernhardt and Daniella Escudero and sophomore Keira Mullen.

Bernhardt is a fine hitter who can play both in the middle and on the outside. Escudero, who transferred in from Tolman-Pawtucket prior to the 2022 slate, is a "libero," a defender and expert passer who plays out of the back line.

In her first year with the program, Escudero's play earned her third team All-State recognition while Bernhardt was an All-Division performer. Like her libero mate,  Mullen also received a third team All-State acknowledgement.

Mullen was the breakout player from last fall, one in which the Townies had their first winning record since 2017 when they went 10-8 and won a match in the D-I playoffs. A right side hitter and setter, Mullen became the first freshman in the 24-year history of East Providence as a four-year school to be a regular starter on the girls' volleyball team.

Of the trio, Butler said, "Kate has been playing well so far. We've moved her mainly to the outside. The thought behind that was she has such good court sense and a good understanding of the game that she can handle it.

"Daniella has to be our quarterback on the floor for the defense. She has a ton of experience. She played really well. She came into the program and had an immediate impact, but she was quiet, kind of just went about her business. This year, she doesn't have that luxury. We need her to be more vocal because we have so much inexperience on this team.

"And what can you say about Keira. It's pretty cool to have a sophomore returning as a third team All-State player. She had a great season as a freshman. This year we're asking more of her. We're going to play a 6-2 (two setters), so she'll have more responsibility. She's going to have to set some, but she's so well-rounded, has such a good head for the game I believe she can handle it."

Five other seniors are back in the fold: right side hitter Teagan Abatiello, outside side hitter Ella DeCosta, setter Nora Fineran and defensive specialist Charlotte Kane and middle hitter Malia Mullen.

"Nora was a defensive specialist/libero but about halfway through last year we needed her to set looking ahead down the road," said Butler. "I asked her if she would do it and she give it a shot and now she's going to have that responsibility there with Keira in the 6-2. She has the ability. We just need her to get more confident in what she's doing.

"Malia actually played quite a bit last year as a sub for Kate and when (2022-23 graduate) Riley Grant got hurt. She's probably been our most consistent player so far. She knows what she has to do in the middle. She just goes about her business, nothing phases her.

"Teagan has good size, a good high hit. She's adjusting to the right side. Ella is in the outside rotation. She's been pretty solid passing and hitting. She'll get an opportunity to play. And Charlotte is someone we can use on either the left or the right side in the back row. She understands her defensive responsibilities and she's one of our best teammates."

Four juniors are new to the varsity — middle hitter Trinity Johnson-Carter, defensive specialist Azia Melse, outside hitter Nazarae Phillip and outside/right side hitter Jathai Sanchez — as well as sophomore outside hitter Eliza Vest.

Three members of that group, as well as another would-be Townie, are either new to the program this year or last, leading Butler to jokingly referred to his team as "Transfer U."

Johnson-Carter came to East Providence late in the 2021-22 term and missed the season. Last year was her first in the program, playing junior varsity.

Sanchez comes to the Townies this year from Norfolk, Mass.

Vest is a city resident who attended Moses Brown as a freshman and who plays on the same club team as Keira Mullen.

And another junior potentially on the roster is Alma Crump, a defensive specialist who attended and played a bit of varsity at Providence Country Day. Butler said the schools and the Interscholastic League are still determining if she has to sit for first half of the season per transfer rules.

Phillip is a "super athlete," according to her coach, known to many as already being a track standout at EPHS. She only just started playing volleyball a year ago, Butler saying she's one of those kids  when hopefully soon "the light bulb goes on" she could be a tremendous asset to the program.

Of his players as a unit with the 2023 campaign on the horizon, Butler said, "It's a nice group to work with and they're great kids both on and off the court. We have some kids with experience and others who are a bit raw. But with this group now the most important piece is finding a voice. Communication is what we need to get better at."

The only change to the composition of D-II heading into 2023 in what was supposed to be a non-realignment year was a quite significant one. Chariho, which returns the bulk of its league championship winning team, opted to move up to D-I with a willing Cranston West, winless last fall at 0-16, dropping down.

For Butler and the Townies, though, their mission this year remains what it's been for the better part of the last three decades under his tutelage and that of his Hall of Fame predecessor Luis Carvalho regardless of where or against whom they play.

"At the start of every season the goal has always been the same. It's to be playing on the last day of the season, whether it's a Saturday or Sunday, whenever the championship match is. That never changes," Butler said.

He added, "Last year we had no idea going in we'd be as good as we were, but that group got better as the season when on. They worked hard every day to improve. And if this group puts in that same kind of effort, works as hard as last year's team did, then we'll be fine."