For Sacramento State sophomore outside hitter Victoria Marthaler, her volleyball career came from humble beginnings.

But volleyball wasn’t her first sport. That title would belong to swimming, which she spent eight years of her life dedicated to. After attending a volleyball camp in sixth grade, she decided to try out for her school’s team, and then she just stuck with it.

“I don’t even know if I loved it, but I tried out for my school’s team and I made the B-team,” Marthaler said. “And then I quit swim, and ever since then, I just kept playing.”

Marthaler, a well-traveled military kid who calls New Mexico home, describes herself as an “introvert but an extrovert around the right people.” Even in her own family, she’s not used to the spotlight; she gives that honor to her older sister, Annabella Marthaler.

“I’m not usually the center of attention. My sister has always taken that,” Marthaler said. “I’m always the quiet one in our family. My family is very loud, you’ll hear them at the games.”

Despite her quiet nature, Marthaler stuck with volleyball, gradually building up her skills even if it didn’t happen instantly. She credits her parents, Lisa Marthaler and Michael Marthaler, for keeping her on track.

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“My freshman and sophomore year [of high school], I was on JV. So, I was like, ‘okay, I’m not very good at this,’” Marthaler said. “But my parents kept pushing me to be the best I can. A lot of talks happened like, ‘is this what you really want?’ And they pushed me to keep going.”

And keep going Marthaler did. By her junior year, teammates were starting their recruiting process, and it felt like the natural next step. The constant pressure of being scouted and the thought of her future made volleyball seem so much bigger with a lot more expectation.

“I got a good amount of interest. But there was a point during my senior year, before I committed, where I didn’t even know if I wanted to play,” Marthaler said. “The recruiting process was so taxing, it made me overthink volleyball. I think that got to me a little bit.”

Late in her senior year, Marthaler committed to Weber State and felt a breath of fresh air.

“I started playing better,” Marthaler said. “I felt like that [weight] was just off my shoulders, and I didn’t have to care about it anymore.”

While at Weber, Marthaler played sparingly, appearing in 37 sets and recording 66 kills. The unfamiliar position of being in a new environment, new expectations and limited opportunities made it difficult to find her rhythm.

“I did feel like I could have shown more, like – I could have helped them out more,” Marthaler said. “I just never got comfortable there.”

The pressure and lack of comfort began to take a toll on Marthaler, leaving her to question whether it was really worth it. The sport that was once her outlet had started to become a source of anxiety.

“I didn’t want to play volleyball anymore when I was there,” Marthaler said. “I was losing my love for it. I would shake every time I went on the court.”

That low point was uncharacteristic for Marthaler, who was unsure of what to do. The uncertainty prompted her to make a difficult decision: enter the transfer portal. And in came Sac State.

Hornets head coach Ruben Volta knew Marthaler from the scouting process and saw the potential she had long before she came to Sacramento. He saw her play club volleyball during her junior and senior years and saw the tools of a special player: a fast arm swing, high jump and aggressive play style that made her a natural.

“We knew she was talented, but we weren’t looking for the position that year,” Volta said. “Then the opportunity rose for her to get here through the transfer portal, and I was confident she’d be a really good attacker coming in.”

But even the coach will admit, he couldn’t imagine her stardom taking off at this magnitude.

“Maybe not to this volume. I don’t know if I would have been able to guess that,” Volta said. “But early on I said, ‘Vic’s going to be one of our best attackers we’ve had here.’ And I saw signs of that through our practices in the preseason.”

Beyond her on-court skills, Volta said Marthaler’s energy and personality made her a natural fit in the locker room.

“She truly loves playing and competing,” Volta said. “She has fun with her teammates but is serious about getting better and takes coaching well. She plays with the right attitude, and I think that’s contagious.”

Her ability to balance intensity and play has made coaching her a rewarding experience for Volta.

“She’s got a fun personality. She keeps things light but still wants to work hard and improve every day,” Volta said. “She’s been really fun to coach because of that.”

Her attitude and dedication are only a reflection of the love she’s felt being at Sac State.

“Coming into Sac, it was so welcoming,” Marthaler said. “We clicked so easily, and since I got here in the spring, it made the turnover so easy. They’re all super sweet, and they got my back.”

Freed from the pressure, Marthaler has responded. She was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week three times. She also emerged as the Hornets’ most dangerous offensive weapon and one of the most threatening scorers in the country, ranking sixth in total kills, kills per set and eighth in points per set in the NCAA.

But it’s not just about the numbers – her confidence and joy is back. Her teammate and close friend, sophomore middle blocker Skyler Gartin, notices it too.

“She’s always smiling at practice, always in a good mood. She’s just always happy, I don’t know how,” Gartin said. “She just has a great vibe to her.”

The positivity reflects a deeper shift in Marthaler’s mindset, a comfort she’s finding within herself and within her team.

Congrats to Marthaler – Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week!

• 2nd award in 3 weeks
• Wins over Montana, Montana State
• 6.50 kps
• .311 hit%
• 52 kills in just 8 sets
• 33 kills vs Montana
• Became first Hornet in 30 years to post back-to-back matches with 30+ kills pic.twitter.com/Y5kLGNirew

— Sacramento State Volleyball (@SacStateVB) October 20, 2025

“I’m not scared to play anymore, and the team has definitely helped with that,” Marthaler said. “Knowing that I’m capable of getting 33 kills, and even if I don’t, it’s still a good match.”

That newfound comfort has allowed Marthaler to play with a clearer head. Instead of feeling anxious before games, she’s learned to slow things down and center herself, admitting that part of her pregame routine is thinking about how far she’s come.

“During the national anthem, I stare at the flag and take a bunch of deep breaths. Then I think about when I was younger and when I started playing,” Marthaler said. “I think that’s really calmed my nerves, especially before those big games.”

Now that Marthaler has proved what she’s capable of on the court, her growth is extending beyond the stat sheet. She’s embracing the challenge of becoming a leader, something she didn’t necessarily see coming.

“I think stepping into this role, where I went from a team that I didn’t play on as much to a team where I’m a leader, that’s been one of the harder things,” Marthaler said. “I feel a lot older and wiser.”

With the newfound perspective, Marthaler wants to be the teammate people can come to when they’re struggling.

And now here’s some highlights from @SacStateVB in their Big Sky home opener vs. @weberstatevb

a great dig from Greta Davis leading to a Victoria Marthaler kill pic.twitter.com/jONHOeB08h

— Alex Grado (@AGknwID) September 29, 2025

“I want to be the person that people come to if they’re feeling down because I’ve been in that situation; not playing a lot, not playing well,” Marthaler said.

The Hornets weren’t able to accomplish the tall task as they fell to the Northern Colorado Bears by a score of 3-2 in the Big Sky tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 25, but Marthaler can hang her hat on winning the conference MVP. She is the Hornets first MVP since Bridgette Smith in 2023.