MOSES LAKE — Mavericks volleyball player Kardyn Martinez signed her letter of intent with Eastern Oregon University to play soccer Thursday after earning recognition on the pitch while playing club soccer. Though it was nerve wracking for the day to arrive, she said, she is excited for what is to come.   

“There's nothing that can really prepare you for it, but I'm super excited, and I'm super thankful that everybody could be here and support me. It's a huge support system with (the volleyball team), I have everybody's back and they have my back, so it's just really exciting,” Martinez said.   

For the last seven years she has played for the Spokane Shadow Soccer Club. In the last two years, she began working with Kevin Moon, owner and founder of the Spokane Soccer Academy and head coach for the Whitworth University men’s soccer team. Moon is one of several coaches Martinez has worked with. She said Moon has had a notable impact on her development as an athlete.   

“I have never had a coach like him,” Martinez said. “He just really understands each and every one of his players, and he put me in uncomfortable situations to make me a better soccer player, as well as my whole team. I'm so thankful that I have had a coach like that so that I can understand what I need (to do) in order to be better.”  

Martinez has a lot of ties to EOU, with several family members attending and representing the university as student-athletes, including her sister Kaydence Martinez, who plays soccer there. Currently in her fourth year, it’s not guaranteed they will play with each other next season, but there’s no doubt Kardyn isn’t trying to sway her into a fifth season.   

“We've never been able to play together, and so just being able to be on the field with her, and have a connection that we almost never really had, I think it would be really awesome... we still don't know if she's 100% going to play, but I think she is, I'm kind of bullying her into it,” she said.   

Aside from her sister being an influence on her decision to attend EOU, her familiarity with the program growing up and getting to know Head Coach Josh Goodman also made a difference, she said.   

“Every single time that I went back to (EOU) it just felt like I belonged there. I went on other visits, I talked to other coaches, and nothing ever felt like how it did at Eastern (Oregon),” Martinez said.   

As a Maverick, Martinez was a record-setting player for the volleyball team. She finished her tenure as a Mav with 500 kills – the most in program history, 481 blocks and the first co-Big 9 Player of the Year.  

Her departure made for a bittersweet day, not just for Martinez, but Head Coach Krystal Trammell, as well.   

“She has left her impact on the program, and so when you have an athlete that comes in, is that determined, and is that athletic, and a great leader as well as teammate, you just know she's going to excel,” Trammell said.   

While she is making the switch to soccer full time, Trammell is confident Martinez will carry her volleyball experiences with her.   

“We want to make sure we've developed the whole person, not just the athlete,” Trammell said. “We want her to be a good person. We want her to be kind. We want her to set goals and find ways to reach goals. We want her to be mentally tough. We want her to be independent. We want her to succeed and not be afraid to fail and find another way to be successful.”   

As she takes the next step in her journey as a student-athlete, Martinez said she will miss the people she has met along the way the most.   

“The friends and the people, everybody's just so encouraging and kind all the time, and obviously the coaches that have been supporting me for four years and more,” she said.  

    In between sets, the game paused to honor Kardyn Martinez for reaching 500 career kills. She was congratulated by her family, including her sister Kaydence Martinez who secretly came up from Eastern Oregon University to support Kardyn’s accomplishment.
  

    Mavs senior Kardyn Martinez (11) goes for the kill during a game against Eastmont last season. Martinez finished her career with a record 500 kills and counting, 481 blocks and the first ever co-Big 9 Player of the Year.