Down 5-0, after clawing their way back versus the Montana Grizzlies to take it to the fifth set, Sacramento State found themselves needing momentum.
From the back row, sophomore outside hitter Victoria Marthaler – a name who has been all too familiar this season – rose up without hesitation and slammed home a kill to put the Hornets on the board, 5-1. The point sparked a 10-1 run by the Hornets to clinch the decisive fifth set.
In the fifth set down 5-0, Marthaler’s kill would spark a 10-1 run to give @SacStateVB the lead for good pic.twitter.com/hfX1W7138s
— Alex Grado (@AGknwID) October 21, 2025
The Hornets pulled off a dramatic reverse sweep against Montana on Thursday before dismantling Montana State in straight sets Saturday. The Hornets resilience and energy fueled a 2-0 weekend against their Big Sky foes.
“After what we saw at the Montana game and what we came back from, I think now we’re a dominant part of the Big Sky,” Marthaler said. “I never counted us out one second.”
The Grizzlies had previously swept Sac State 3-0 on Sept. 25, and going into the match the Grizzlies had won 11 of their last 13 matches. The Grizzlies also had a chip on their shoulder, as they haven’t won at The Nest since 2013.
To start set one, the Grizzlies and the Hornets traded blows with neither team leading by more than two points. After being tied at 16, the Grizzlies took the lead and did not look back. Their largest lead of the game came at 24-21, ultimately clinching the set 25-22.
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In set two, the Grizzlies jumped out to a 7-2 lead quickly. However, Sac State clawed their way back. The Hornets kept the score within three points all the way to point 11, when the Hornets tied it up.
The two teams traded points back and forth, with the Hornets taking their first lead at 22-21. The Grizzlies went on a 3-0 run to set up their clinching point 24-22. After a Hornet point, the Grizzlies clinched set two 25-23.
Much of the success for the Grizzlies in the first two sets could be attributed to their advantage in hitting percentage, which was .315 to the Hornets’ .217 and errors, seven to the Hornets’ 12.
The Hornets flipped the script in set three, dominating the service line with four aces and defending well with three blocks, compared to the Grizzlies’ one of each. The Hornets also had three errors to Montana’s five. Sac State led the whole third set, cruising to a 25-21 win to make the game 2-1.
Hornets win the 3rd set, 25-21! Now trail Montana, 2-1
• Hornets led the entire way
• Marthaler 18 kills, 6 digs
• Archer 9 kills, 3 blk
• Doorn 36 ast, 4 aces, 4 blk
• Ampi 10 digs, 2 aces
• Ito 7 digs
• Gartin 4 kills, 3 blk pic.twitter.com/hZAUekkf8r— Sacramento State Volleyball (@SacStateVB) October 17, 2025
“We got out of the gate a little slow, but we’ve gotten it to go at home,” Sac State coach Ruben Volta said.
Marthaler came alive in sets four and five, lighting the Grizzlies up with 15 kills. Marthaler finished the game with 33 kills, becoming the first Hornet to have back-to-back 30 kill games since Jill Haas in 1995. In set four, Marthaler, senior middle blocker Ashlynn Archer and freshman outside hitter Keonahi’ilani Solaita combined for 17 points with only two team errors.
In honor of the pandemonium here’s some quick highlights from @SacStateVB vs. @MontanaGrizVB last Thursday
The Hornets won in a comeback reverse sweep 3-2.
Victoria Marthaler, Ashlynn Archer and Keona Solaita led the 4th set to tie it up 2-2 scoring 17 points pic.twitter.com/EmDVqAjqb4
— Alex Grado (@AGknwID) October 21, 2025
The fifth set comeback was a team effort on full display, with the Hornets battling back after being down 5-1. After a Marthaler kill, Archer and senior outside hitter Greta Davis led a 10-1 run, with multiple kills each and a shared block to make it 10-6.
The Grizzlies had one last shot as they got within one at 12-11, but Marthaler finished them off. She scored the last five points – four assisted by senior setter Kate Doorn – to win 15-13 and clinch the game 3-2.
Archer tied her career-high with 16 kills, and Doorn had a career-high 57 assists and a career-high tying 14 digs.
And here’s every point after that. #StingersUp pic.twitter.com/5rYDketE3u
— Alex Grado (@AGknwID) October 21, 2025
The momentum carried over into game 2 versus the Montana State Bobcats, as the Hornets swept the Bobcats in straight sets 25-21, 25-18, 25-12. There were only eight lead changes the whole game, with five coming in the first set before point 14 for the Hornets.
“We had a lot of energy after Montana, so we bottled that up and used it for this game, which was really fun to see,” Marthaler said.
The Hornets executed methodically in all aspects of the gameplan they have mentioned all season, serving and defending well, while also limiting errors.
EMBED: caption: The Hornets volleyball team embraces in a huddle before resuming play against the Montana State Bobcats Thursday, Oct. 18, 2025. Sacramento State won each set decisively, ending at 3-0. (Photo by Katie Vance)
“We served really tough, played good defense and gave them a lot of trouble,” Volta said. “When we play like that, we’re pretty tough.”
The level of intensity and focus required to pull out that first win seems to have strengthened the team’s chemistry and better prepared them.
“I think we gelled really well, and it kind of motivated us to push together,” Solaita said.
The Hornets will continue their four-game homestand this Thursday against the Idaho Vandals at 7 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+.
