LACEY, Wash. – The Saint Martin's women's volleyball team had plenty to cheer about this season, from milestone wins to record-breaking numbers. The end-the-season awards continue that trend with three Saints being named to the All-GNAC team, including Sirena Peredo becoming only the second SMU player to win a specialty award as Freshman of the Year, and Karla Soto making waves as the first ever Saint to be named First Team All-GNAC. Emily Garten was the other All-GNAC Selection from SMU.
 
Soto was named to the First Team as a setter, notably as the only selection in the category to act solely as a setter. The conference does not award a Setter of the Year, but surely she would have been in the mix due to how the voting shook out selecting her unanimously to the first team. Soto was by far the top statistical GNAC setter with a total of 10.48 assists per set, as well as leading the conference with 0.58 aces per set, a number which ranked 12^th in the nation. Soto will graduate as one of the best setters and volleyball players in SMU history despite only two years of playing in Lacey.
 
Sirena Peredo was the only player in the conference that won both offensive and defensive player of the week. She was a double-double machine being able to get 3.42 digs per set and 2.93 kills per set, both ranking top ten in the conference. Peredo is the only SMU player to win a specialty award since Kristyn Ross who was Freshman of the Year in 2011.
 
Emily Garten was another freshman to light it up for the Saints this year, earning honorable mention All-GNAC honors. Garten ranked third in the GNAC with 3.39 kills per set and fourth with 4.04 points per set. Her gnarly top spin jump serves were also constantly helping SMU on runs and a big reason for the highest win total in school history.
 
With Soto graduating, along with other key members of the senior class, the Saints along with Head Coach Dan Behnke will look to gear up for another record-breaking campaign in 2024.