Rye Varsity Volleyball head coach Geri Jones has named her MVP for the 2025 season: senior Emma Lunstead.
“Emma Lunstead is a defensive stud!” Jones told MyRye.com. “She has worked incredibly hard over the years to make excellent passes, read a hitter’s hand, and adjust to every hitter she lines up against.”
Lunstead helped lead the Garnets to a 19-win season, a Sectional championship, and Regional finals appearance in her senior season. The libero also won Rye Athlete of the Month for September 2025, as she captained a defense that helped Rye stifle their opponents amidst an eight-game winning streak.
“Emma was a senior captain and the director of our defense this season,” Jones continued. “We developed a new system this year with Emma calling a different defense against the different hitters on the other side of the net.”
To say Lunstead fit in the new system would do her a disservice. The senior broke several school records over the course of 2025, including most services received to the setter in a season with 337, most service received up in a season with 504, and most digs in a season with 436. In total, she caps off an uber-productive high school career with 968 total digs in three varsity seasons, right near the top of Rye’s record books.
“Defense wins championships, so that makes Emma the MVP this season!” Jones concluded.
