SACRAMENTO -- Head coach
Ruben Volta picked up his 300th career win, and Sacramento State posted a 3-2 victory (25-18, 22-25, 25-18, 18-25, 15-10) over Nevada on Thursday evening at Colberg Court.
Volta, in his 19th season at the helm of Hornet Volleyball, improved his record to 300-262. The Hornets have won at least 20 matches each of the last three seasons, including a 2024 conference championship. Volta has been a member of Sacramento State's coaching staff a combined 26 years, including one year as the associate head coach (2007), five years as an assistant (2002-06), and two seasons as a volunteer assistant (2000-01).
Today marked the first of the three-day Sacramento State Invitational, a four-team tournament hosted by the Hornets. Sacramento State, which was playing its first home match of the young season, will also play tomorrow at 7 p.m. vs. Texas Tech, and Saturday vs. Saint Mary's at 1:30 p.m.
In today's early match, Texas Tech defeated Saint Mary's in four sets. There are two more tournament matches tomorrow and two more on Saturday. The Sacramento State Invitational home page can be found by
clicking here.
In tonight's fifth set, Sacramento State never trailed, jumping out to a 5-1 lead and never looking back.
Victoria Marthaler could not be stopped, accounting for five kills in seven swings during the set. That was part of a 22-kill performance by Marthaler - seven more than any other player on the floor. Fellow outside hitter
Charlee Lepp posted a career-high 15 kills as the Hornets had 16 more kills than Nevada (65-49).
Freshman
Nikola Gamlin rounded out a trio of Hornets with double-figure kills as the middle blocker had 10 kills, six blocks and a match-best .526 hitting percentage. Setter
Makenna Wiepert now has a double-double in all four Hornet matches this season as she finished with 46 assists, three aces and 10 digs.
Reese Ampi posted a season-best 21 digs, and middle
Skyler Gartin had eight kills, a .368 hitting percentage and three blocks.Â
Once again, the Hornets started two freshmen, as Gamlin's 10 kills were accompanied by
Mia Molnar's six kills and three blocks.
Amy Ito added three aces and nine digs, and
Keonahi'ilani Solaita posted five digs.
Sacramento State led Nevada in virtually every statistical category, which included hitting .281 to Nevada's .188. However, the Hornets had to overcome 17 service errors, including 11 in the first two sets alone. Sacramento State did have 11 aces, including three apiece from Ito,
Eleanor Weeks and Wiepert.
