LACEY, Wash. – The Saint Martin's volleyball team (6-3, 1-0 GNAC) are off to an undefeated start in conference play with a convincing 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-9) over MSU-Billings (2-7, 0-1 GNAC). This win also opened up the home schedule at Marcus Pavilion this school year, so a solid crowd was treated to the GNAC-opening win.
 
Maybe the most outrageous number on the stat sheet was the Saints allowing absolutely zero aces from MSUB while producing 13 of their own. Karla Soto led the way with four, while Sirena Peredo had three and Maddy Gooding had two. Jennifer Soha led the offensive attack tallying 10 kills, with the powerful Emily Garten right behind her with nine. Soha also was the key behind the defensive effort with seven blocks. Libero Abigail Halstead was all over the back row with 13 digs, Soto had eight, and freshman Tiffany Lam added five.
 
After the first two set wins, Soto suffocated the Yellowjackets in the third to start on a 5-0 run kicked off by a Peredo kill. Soto then tallied three aces on her next four serves and SMU was off and running. Later in the set, when Gooding was serving, the Saints went on another five-point run finished off by another ace. A 25-9 final set was finished off by another ace to an eruption at Marcus Pavilion.
 
The Saints will host GNAC foe Seattle Pacific (7-2, 1-0 GNAC) in another big clash Saturday at 3 PM at Marcus Pavilion. That contest will be followed by a postgame All-Sport Kick-Off at O'Blarney's to celebrate the start of the athletic season and give Saints fans a chance to meet all the SMU coaches.