LACEY — For the first time in 341 days, the Saint Martin’s University volleyball team took the court on their home floor at Marcus Pavilion.
The Saints had to wait until Thursday, Oct. 29 for their official home opener of the 2026 campaign, as the construction of the Marcus Pavilion court continued into the season. “Home” games were instead held at The Evergreen State College, and practices took place at Saint Martin’s Charneski Recreation Center.
The renovation project, which began in the summer, concluded in time for Saint Martin’s to host Western Washington on Thursday, but it was the Vikings who got to be the first to taste victory on the new court in a sweep (25-17, 25-19, 25-22) over the Saints.
As the crowd, donning bright red shirts in the team’s “Red Out” game, found their seats and gazed at the new court, Saint Martin’s Director of Athletics Theresa Hanson spoke to the fans, thanking the university for making the capital investment to pursue the project. Father Damien-Joseph Rappuhn, university chaplain, blessed the court and the athletes before the first serve in front of a packed crowd.
“We had a great crowd, a ton of student support and a ton of parent support. It was great to have the court blessing before the match,” Saints head coach Haley Domeck said. “We’re getting comfortable in our own space again, if you will.”
Saint Martin’s practiced for the first time on the upgraded court the week prior to its matchup with Western Washington and is slowly readjusting to its new digs after spending months at the rec center.
Against the Vikings, the Saints went back and forth with their GNAC foes thanks to a hot start from freshman outside hitter Olivia Bassett, who pounded three kills in their first four points. But poor serve receive by Saint Martin’s allowed Western Washington to pull away midway through the first set and win 25-17. In the Vikings’ 14-7 finish to the frame, they churned out five service aces.
Saint Martin’s was unable to string together any big runs to combat the Vikings’ consistent attacking and serving in the second set. Senior Emily Garten came alive with four kills, but the Saints couldn’t catch up in a 25-19 loss in which their only lead was after the first point.
Western Washington cruised to an 8-1 start in set three thanks to three consecutive aces.
“We talked about trying to beat the ball, and I don’t think we quite did that tonight,” Domeck said. “We need to anticipate where the ball is going. They’re an aggressive serving team, and I think that was on full display tonight.”
Garten responded with four consecutive kills to bring the Saints within three. At one point, she was responsible for six Saints points in a row, and she posted eight of her 16 kills in the third set. A Bassett kill to cap off a wild rally lit a fire under the Saints, who pulled the margin to two points at 20-18. Down 24-19, Bassett rattled off two more kills as Saint Martin’s scrapped to make it 24-22 before Delaney Speer’s final kill for WWU.
“They showed a lot of grittiness in that third set and that ‘never say die’ attitude, which I think is huge, especially from Emily Garten and Olivia Bassett,” Domeck said. “Both took some really big swings at really key moments, and that was huge for us.”
Bassett finished with 12 kills and three blocks in the latest entry in what’s been a standout freshman year for the 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Fillmore, Utah. She has registered double-digit kills on 10 occasions this season, and her last kill of the night on Thursday was her 200th of the season. It’s the first time a Saint Martin’s freshman has reached 200 kills in a season since Garten (342) Sirena Peredo (299) in 2023.
“She clearly is athletic. She jumps super high, and she’s really come a long way in terms of limiting her errors,” Domeck said of Bassett. “She’s fearless. It took a little bit in the recruiting process, but I had a pretty good idea after getting to watch her play that she was going to have a chance to be a big-impact athlete for us.”
Saint Martin’s (8-14, 4-10 GNAC) will only get three regular season games at Marcus Pavilion this season, including Thursday’s match. The Saints will host Simon Fraser on Saturday, Oct. 31, and their senior day and regular season finale will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14 against Western Oregon.
In a season in which they were projected to finish ninth in the GNAC, the Saints are gunning for potentially a top-six spot in the standings. They would need a bit of assistance in order to contend for a top-five spot and reach the playoffs, but Domeck is confident the Saints can build some momentum in the home stretch.
“We have a good chance of finishing in sixth. We were picked to finish ninth in the conference, so that would be a big win for the season,” she said. “We need to win the games we’re supposed to win, and then getting an upset or two is great.”
