**Photo provided by Sommer Sun Creations.** Santa Clara University women’s club volleyball team cheer after securing a victory.

Both the men’s and women’s club volleyball teams are off to a great start in their 2024-2025 seasons with their first few games. Winning national championships and showing off their young talent are the objectives of both teams. Both teams will keep improving their tactics and building on their early victories as the season goes on.

The women’s team won the Silver Bracket Championship at the Cal Classic back on Nov. 9, providing a boost to start the season. Last month, on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, they won six out of their seven games in the MLK tournament at San Jose State University. They currently hold a record of 7-1 capped off by their most recent game on Jan. 26—a senior night match—honoring Setareh Salkhi ’25 and Monica Sommer ’25 against Stanford University, winning all three sets of the game.

According to Salkhi, president of women’s club volleyball, the team’s success is a testament to their tenacity and good teamwork. “We have played confident and calm,” Salkhi stated following the MLK tournament, in which the squad won every match on the opening day. “Even against fiercely competitive teams, everyone did their job and came out strong.”

Salkhi also underlined the value of remaining upbeat and flexible even in difficult times. “I just tell the team to step back, take a breath and play the game we know and love when we’re in our heads,” she added.

**Photo by Nina Glick.** Santa Clara University men’s volleyball team talks before a tough upcoming match.

She has enthusiasm for the challenges that lie ahead. “Winning is always the goal because I think we can win nationals,” she stated. “Everything we need to get there is here.”

The men’s team has gone through a range of highs and lows. They defeated San Jose State University 3-0 on Jan. 18 to start the season, but the next week they lost a hard fought game to University of California, Berkeley 0-3. Then, on Feb. 1, they recovered well at the Northern California Collegiate Volleyball League regionals at California Polytechnic State University, where they went 3-1 and improved their record to 8-3 overall.

Iker Mendiburu ’26, president of men’s club volleyball, praised the team’s early performance, emphasizing their capacity to put acquired tactics to work. We base our offense on an analysis of how teams play,” Mendiburu stated. He also highlighted the team’s mindset in spite of a difficult defeat to Berkeley, saying, “The games we lose are the first games we watch to learn from our mistakes. It motivates us to keep putting in more effort.”

With many rookies on the team this season, Mendiburu also noted the challenge of integrating new players. “Half of our team is new, and they didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “It’s been a challenge, but we’re adjusting.” Looking ahead, they have a clear objective for the season. “Winning the league championship for the third time in a row is another objective, but also winning nationals, and I know we can achieve it.”