SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The Saint Martin's Volleyball team opened up the 2026 season at the CSUSB Yotes Classic Showcase, bouncing back from a sweep against Concordia Irvine to take a five-set victory over Cal State LA
Emily Garten led the way for the Saints with 30 kills across both matches, as Saint Martin's started the season 1-1 on opening day.
Game 1: Saint Martin's 0, Concordia Irvine 3
- In the first set, the teams played out a neck-and-neck 7-6 start, before Concordia Irvine pulled ahead 13-8. A later 6-0 run by the Eagles put the Saints behind 19-9. Saint Martin's went on a later 5-1 run, but fell 25-14. Concordia Irvine totaled a .652 hitting percentage in the opening frame.
- The second set went down to the wire, as each team exchanged a series of runs. Concordia Irvine pulled ahead 15-9 midway through, before later holding a 20-13 lead after a 4-0 run. The Saints bounced back in a big way and went on a 7-2 run that trimmed the deficit to 23-21. However, the Eagles pulled away to win 25-22 and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match. Emily Garten recorded five kills in the second set.
- The Saints led early in the second set and held a steady advantage, leading 16-13 midway through. A 5-1 run for the Eagles flipped the script, before the Saints knotted the game at 19-19. Concordia Irvine closed out the set on a 6-1 run, winning 25-21 and taking the match in three sets.
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Game 2: Saint Martin's 3, Cal State LA 2
- The second match of the day was back-and-forth, as Saint Martin's fell behind 0-1 after losing the first set 25-18. Cal State jumped out to a 10-3 lead, and despite the Saints pushing back within three points late (21-18), Cal State La held on to win 25-18.
- In the second set, the Saints hit .297 as a team and held a 16-10 advantage in kills. The set was neck-and-neck, as neither team led by more than four points. A 4-1 run helped the Saints build a 22-18 lead, and Saint Martin's held on to win 25-23. Emily Garten recorded eight kills in the second set.
- The third set was a thriller, as Saint Martin's battled out a 28-26 victory to build a 2-1 lead in the match. Saint Martin's built a 16-10 lead midway through, before Cal State LA fought back to tie the game at 19-19. The Saints held a narrow lead late, before the Golden Eagles tied the set at 24-24 and eventually pulled ahead 26-25. The Saints bounced back with a resounding 3-0 run to win the set, behind a kill from Olivia Bassett, ace from Sophie Fast, and an attack error to clinch the set.
- Cal State LA hit .353 in the fourth set and won 25-22, doing so behind 16 kills. The Saints led as late as 16-15, but the late stages of the set shifted toward the Golden Eagles, as the match went on to a fifth set.
- The fifth set was knotted at 7-7, before a decisive 5-0 by the Saints tilted the match heavily in favor of Saint Martin's. The Saints won off a kill by Leila Quinn to take the match 3-2 and notch the team's first victory of the 2026 season.
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Up Next
The Saints will face Vanguard at 7 p.m. on August 18 in San Bernardino on day two of the CSUSB Yotes Classic.
