Bio

Marti was brought up in a sports-oriented family, watching so much football as a child that she says Vince Lombardi became her first mentor. She joined the YMCA swim team at the age of 8 and continued with the team until she was 17. She was also involved with the AAU Swimming and Diving program in Watsonville. She attended Mora Catholic High School, where she was coached by June Maitoza. Graduating in 1969, Marti was awarded the Phillip T. Boyle Award for top woman athlete. She attended Cabrillo College, and her goal was to teach sports. Her first major class was taught by Jane Ward, who had just returned from the 1968 Olympics in which she was the setter on the USA Volleyball Team. Coach Ward asked her, Do you want to play volleyball?? Marti answered, Sure I am a swimmer, but I will give it a go..

By her sophomore year under Coach Wardds instruction, Marti and her teammates won the 1970 Northern California JC Volleyball and Basketball Championships. 

She matriculated to California State University, Long Beach, and was coached by Ann Heck, who had been an Olympic team member with Jane Ward. Six players came to Long Beach State from different Junior Colleges to add to those Long Beach players that started as freshmen. Marti says, We all came to play, no scholarships, no free shoes just the yearning to play the sport.. In 1972 they placed runner up to UCLA in the Championship game. The next year Dixie Grimmett became head coach. The team went on to their senior year, in which they were undefeated with a 33-0 record and won the 1973 AIAW Championship defeating Brigham Young University.

Marti worked as an assistant coach at Long Beach while student teaching for her credential at Santa Fe High School. She coached under Mollie Kavanagh. Their high school team traveled to Mexico City and won the Festival de Universidad Tournament. During the final game, fans were throwing marbles onto their side of the courttacts ignored by the referee. They told their players, To win, you need to bury the ball into the floor for points.. 

The next year Marti was asked to be the assistant coach with Jane Ward at San Jose State. They won numerous league championships and developed a successful program. For five years in the evenings after the practices at San Jose, Marti would go to Santa Clara University, where she was head coach for the menns volleyball club team. In 1979, Marti became the head coach at San Jose State and asked Carol Knight to be her assistant. Carol has been Dean of Physical Education at West Valley College and is currently teaching there. 

Marti traveled to China to adopt daughters: Anna in 1995 and Natalie in 2000. The girls have been exposed to sports their entire life. Marti has stayed active and has coached many of their recreation teams.

Marti tells us, My education at Cabrillo helped me accomplish my dreams. Cabrillo College set me on the right path forward. The experience I had there was the jump start and positive experience that set me on the road to achieve my goals for the rest of my life. Both of my girls go there now. Anna is a freshman, and Natalie is a violinist in the Cabrillo Youth Strings Orchestra. I presently take music classes at Cabrillo.