The honors arrive as Sacramento State concludes the regular season with a 19–9 overall record and 12–4 conference mark, finishing second in the Big Sky standings. Photo courtesy of Sacramento State Athletics

 

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Sacramento State volleyball’s remarkable 2025 campaign continued as the Hornets collected five major awards in the annual All–Big Sky Conference selections, highlighted by sophomore outside hitter Victoria Marthaler being named Big Sky Most Valuable Player.

The Hornets earned four individual specialty honors, the most of any program in the league, with Marthaler taking MVP, senior setter Kate Doorn named Setter of the Year, junior Reese Ampi earning Libero of the Year and freshman outside hitter Keonahi'ilani Solaita selected Freshman of the Year.

In addition, senior middle blocker Ashlynn Archer, one of the nation’s top performers at her position, was named first team All–Big Sky.

Marthaler and Doorn joined Archer on the first team, tying the program record with three first-team selections in a single season.

The honors arrive as Sacramento State concludes the regular season with a 19–9 overall record and 12–4 conference mark, finishing second in the Big Sky standings.

Marthaler became the eighth Hornet, and the first since 2023, to earn Big Sky MVP honors. One of the nation’s top six-rotation outside hitters, Marthaler leads the Big Sky and ranks sixth nationally with 4.96 kills per set, while adding 5.46 points per set, eighth-best in the country. She has posted double-figure kills in 25 matches, including eight with 20 or more and three with at least 30. A three-time Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week, Marthaler is averaging 5.72 kills per set in conference play. Her current season average would rank fourth in program history.

Doorn, the first Hornet ever named Big Sky Setter of the Year, guided one of the league’s most efficient offenses. Sacramento State leads the Big Sky in points per set (17.62) and hitting percentage (.265) in conference matches, a figure 38 points higher than the next closest team. Doorn averages 9.16 assists, 0.41 aces, 2.38 digs and 0.54 blocks per set, and owns 11 double-doubles this season. In league play, Doorn leads the conference in aces (0.48 per set) and ranks second in assists (10.13 per set). Doorn is just two assists shy of 3,000 for her collegiate career.

Archer continued her dominance as one of the Big Sky’s most efficient attackers, averaging 2.76 kills and 1.07 blocks per set while hitting .436, a mark that leads the Big Sky and ranks eighth nationally. If the season ended today, her hitting percentage would set new Sacramento State and Big Sky single-season records. She has hit at least .300 in all but four matches and surpassed .400 on 18 occasions. Archer is also the only player in the conference to earn both offensive and defensive weekly awards this season.

Ampi became the fourth Hornet, and the first since 2016, to win Big Sky Libero of the Year.

Despite missing three matches to injury, Ampi ranks third in the conference with 4.30 digs per set and has recorded double-digit digs 22 times, including six matches with at least 20 and two with 30 or more. Ampi owns a .940 serve-receive percentage, having been aced just 26 times on 421 attempts, and is a two-time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week.

Solaita, Sacramento State’s first Big Sky Freshman of the Year since 2020, quickly cemented herself as a six-rotation starter and has opened each of the last 21 matches. Solaita averages 2.05 kills, 1.80 digs, 0.27 aces and 2.45 points per set, while elevating those numbers in conference play to 2.44 kills, 2.12 digs and 0.33 aces per set. Her aces per set in league matches rank eighth in the conference. Solaita has reached double-digit kills seven times, including a season-high 20 at Idaho State, and earned Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors on Nov. 3.