SACRAMENTO - Outside hitter Victoria Marthaler had a career-high 26 kills, and middle blocker Ashlynn Archer added a career-high tying 16 kills to lead Sacramento State to a 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-17) over Fresno State on Saturday afternoon at the Nest.

With the win, Sacramento State wins the Central Cal Challenge, a three-day, four-team tournament that also included Pacific and CSU Bakersfield. This is the fourth straight year these same four teams have played the Central Cal Challenge, and the first time Pacific was not crowned champions.

The Hornets went 3-0 at the tournament, and dropped just one set over that span. Sacramento State, which has showed steady improvement since the first week of the season, now sit a season-high two games above the .500 mark (7-5). The Hornets have won four straight and seven of their last nine matches after beginning the season 0-3.

Pacific finished the tournament with a 2-1 record, Fresno State went 1-2, and CSU Bakersfield 0-3. The Tigers had never lost a Central Cal Challenge match until being swept handily by the Hornets last night.

The Hornets were awarded three all-tournament selections, and Archer received tournament MVP honors. Joining her on the all-tourney team were Marthaler and setter Kate Doorn.

In today's victory, the Hornets hit .430 (66-11-128), tied for the seventh best single-match mark during the Div. I era (1991-pres.). After dropping the first set, Sacramento State hit better than .430 in each of the final three sets. In fact, the Hornets combined for just seven attack errors during the final three frames.

Leading the way was Marthaler, who could not be stopped. Just a sophomore, the Weber State transfer's 26 kills were two more than her previous career best. She hit .479 (26-3-48) as the Bulldogs had no answer whether she hit in the front or back row. Archer's 16 kills accompanied a .500 hitting percentage (16-2-28), and the senior hit .543 during the tournament.

Doorn finished with 40 assists and 14 digs, and quarterbacked a Hornet offense that hit .362 during the tournament. Keonahi'ilani Solaita had nine kills and a .300 hitting percentage, Skyler Gartin five kills, four blocks and a .444 hitting percentage, and Greta Davis six kills and a .357 hitting percentage. 

The Hornets finished with a season-high 12 aces, including four from Archer, and two apiece from Amy Ito, Doorn, Marthaler and Mia Guevara. Libero Reese Ampi had eight digs, the first time this season she did not register double-digit digs. 

Today marked the final non-conference match of the season for the Hornets as the team opens Big Sky Conference play next week. Sacramento State plays on the road at Montana on Thursday at 6 p.m. PT, before hosting Weber State on Saturday at 2 p.m. 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Ashlynn Archer (MVP) - Sacramento State
Victoria Marthaler - Sacramento State
Kate Doorn - Sacramento State
Olivia Keller - Pacific
Mila Stojakovic - Pacific
Gabby Lombardi - Fresno State
Nicole Zake - CSU Bakersfield