The No. 17 WSU volleyball team is preparing to face two tough opponents over the weekend, one of which has already beaten them in a previous match.

Claire Martin, sophomore middle blocker for the Cougars (12-2, 2-0), shared how she and her fellow teammates are preparing for their matches against No. 9 Stanford (8-2 overall, 2-0 Pac-12) and the University of California, Berkeley (6-6 overall, 0-2 Pac-12).

A (3-57) all-time record against the Cardinal might be discouraging to any other team in the Pac-12, but WSU is not any other team. Martin says her team is motivated to go up against a bigger opponent, especially one that has bested them in the past.

“It’s about knowing where they hit, and adjusting to that,” Martin said.

This week’s practices have consisted of working on passing, hitting, and watching film of their opponent to learn their offense and help build a mental toughness in order to come out swinging against Stanford.

As for the Golden Bears, Martin says they will play with the same intensity throughout the weekend, giving 100 percent for every game. Martin is not nervous about playing on the front line against an opponent with talented outside hitters.

The Cougars are preparing for players like Cal senior libero Maddy Kerr by practicing hitting different areas and making the libero move.

Martin’s personal goals for this season are to improve her hitting and enhance her blocking ability.

“It’s a great feeling when you end a really good rally with a block,” Martin said.

Volleyball is all about communication with the other five members of the team on the floor, because the sport is so fast-paced and intense that there must be a high level of trust and support between players, she said.

“My team is like my family, there’s a lot of trust there,” Martin said. “There’s absolutely no drama and we all love each other.”

Martin said that the family atmosphere of the Cougars is also reflected inside Bohler Gym in the ZZU CRU and alumni fan base.

“I like the crowds, the noise, whether it’s for my team or my opponent, it’s great” Martin said. “I’m so focused on the game, but I also love the crowds.”

Martin was last week’s Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after recording 16 blocks in two matches, seven against No. 4 University of Washington and nine versus No. 9 UCLA, one of the them a solo block.

With 1.59 blocks per set, Martin leads the team and currently ranks third in the Pac-12. Martin also ranks 11th in blocks per set in the NCAA.

In Martin’s personal life, she tries to find a balance between sports and studying toward her mechanical engineering major.

The women’s volleyball team will face Stanford at 7 p.m. tonight and Cal at 11 a.m. on Sunday at Bohler gym.