Bellarmine Prep middle Claire Martin gets ready for kill in the state semifinal match against Battle Ground.

Bellarmine Prep’s Claire Martin never expected be a state champion playing volleyball in college.

Bellarmine Prep coach Jodi DeGroot remembers that as a freshman Martin “didn’t move necessarily the right way she needed to for volleyball, but she worked on it.”

“You don’t get a tall girl like that and not get her training with the best players right away,” DeGroot said.

Four years later, the 6-foot-4 middle hitter was a big contributor to Bellarmine’s third consecutive state championship. Martin had 110 blocks this season, including 23 in the state tournament. She averaged 1.1 blocks per set, and is fourth best in the state.

“A middle that takes hitters out of the game helps your whole team,” DeGroot said. “They start trying to hit around her, or over her, and that’s not going to work out well.”

Growing up, basketball was primarily Martin’s sport. She had offers to play basketball in college, but turned them down. On Nov. 12, Martin signed her letter of intent to Washington State to play volleyball.

We caught up with Martin on being a state championship, the Bellarmine Prep volleyball family, and her future as a Cougar.

When you were a freshman, did you ever expect to win three state championships?

When I was a freshman, I was on JV for volleyball, so I didn’t expect anything. I wasn’t the best my freshman year. But being a state champion, it’s a weird thing to think about. It’s the ultimate goal, but you don’t think about achieving it.

What was some of the training you had to do to get that Varsity spot your sophomore year?

I tried really hard. I practiced. I watched videos online of college players, learning things from them. Then during the summer I went to UW volleyball camp with the team, and I learned a lot there too.

What were some of the things that you liked most about volleyball?

I liked how you have to depend on other people. The whole teamwork idea. Volleyball is just fun to me. I just like playing it. I would look forward to the practices every day, look forward to the matches. Ultimately it was my teammates who made it fun for me.

What are some of your favorite things about getting to play with the Bellarmine team?

I like Jodi [DeGroot] and Caroline [Meines] a lot. They’re really good coaches. I’ve learned so much from them. The team itself, we’re one big family. We can be ourselves around each other. You can be weird around them and they would laugh about it. It’s not like an awkward king of feel. I love them all so much, they’re awesome.

Is being a big family a huge part of your team’s success?

I feel like it is. Unity is a big part of us winning. We all depend on each other, and we all pick each other up when others are down. We all have a role in the team. Not one person is not needed. We all need each other to win.

Your mom Mary Raese Martin played basketball at University of Idaho. Was there always a sports feel in your family growing up?

I was playing basketball since I was in kindergarten, so I grew up playing basketball, and I expected myself to go to college playing basketball, because my mom and my dad played basketball. My mom was really good at basketball, so I expected myself to go that path in life. But then I joined volleyball my freshman year in high school and I found a liking to it.

You’re committed to Washington State for volleyball. What were some of the things that drew you there?

The coaches are very nice. I liked the idea of the team. The believed in all their athletes there. I liked Pullman a lot. The community felt like a family area. For example, I’d be walking the streets of Seattle, and wearing a WSU shirt, and people would come up to me and say, ‘Go Cougs.’ It’s that family feel that I like about WSU.