Santa Clara University women’s soccer alumna Brandi Chastain ’91 takes a photo of her husband, Santa Clara women’s soccer Coach Jerry Smith, and Julie Ertz ’13 after Ertz was inducted into the Santa Clara University Athletics Hall of Fame on May 2, 2026 at the Leavey Center. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Santa Clara University Athletics inducted the Hall of Fame Class of 2026: Julie Ertz ’13, Marlon Garnett ’97, Katie Le ’14, Scott Travers ’10 and Jon Wallace during a ceremony at the Leavey Center on Saturday, May 2.

Santa Clara Hall of Fame class of 2014 inductee Danielle Slaton ’02 emceed the ceremony, interviewing each 2026 inductee about their journey to the Hall of Fame.

Former Santa Clara volleyball Coach Jon Wallace looks on as his former players are recognized during his Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Leavey Center on May 2, 2026. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

The atmosphere was dazzling as lights flashed around the arena. When each of the inductees’ names were called, a compilation of their career moments flashed across the Jumbotron.

First, Wallace’s name was announced. He had an impressive coaching career leading Santa Clara’s volleyball team to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, three WCC Championship titles and 11 top-three conference finishes.

He emphasized the culture and identity that defined his teams. “It was all about the community. That group was super special. Extremely talented, but they played for each other,” he said.

Wallace credited the University’s Jesuit values for shaping his coaching philosophy.

“To be successful here, you need to embrace Santa Clara and the Jesuit beliefs, just embrace it, you go with it, go with the education, and that really set me to start a career in athletics,” said Wallace.

His remarks emphasized a career built on championships and a lasting legacy to athlete development, community and growth in Santa Clara athletics.

Then, Garnett walked up to the stage. As a player on the Santa Clara men’s basketball team, he led the Broncos to appearances in the 1995 and 1996 NCAA Tournaments. He was named WCC Player of the Year in 1997 after leading the conference in scoring at 17.4 points per game.

Hall of Fame inductee Marlon Garnett ’97 watches a video playing his career highlights while Santa Clara University Athletic Director Heather Owens places the hall of fame medal on him. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Garnett’s career as a Bronco included many high-pressure games, three of which were NCAA tournament games, including a win over the University of Maryland in the 1996 NCAA tournament, where his 18 points helped guide the Broncos to a 91-79 victory.

Today, Garnett serves as a scout coach for USA Basketball and has spent 9 seasons as an NBA assistant coach working for the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs.

Following Santa Clara men’s basketball’s return to March Madness for the first time since Garnett’s playing days, he expressed a desire to give back to the team.

“I think the sky’s the limit right now, and I’ll do a better job trying to get here, actually be present in the games and follow them, and if I can be of help to any of the players, I’d love to do it,” Garnett said.

Former Santa Clara men’s basketball player Marlon Garnett ’97 shakes current men’s basketball player KJ Cochran’s ’29 hand after Garnett was inducted into the Santa Clara Athletics Hall of Fame on May 2, 2026. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Next, it was Le’s turn. Le was a star on the tennis court for the Broncos, becoming the first Santa Clara University player, men’s or women’s, to individually qualify for the NCAA Division I Singles Championship.

Le had 101 singles victories, the most in program history, earned WCC Freshman of the Year in 2011 and WCC Player of the Year honors in 2012, all while pursuing a degree in computer engineering.

Le detailed how confidence for her didn’t come right away, and when she first arrived at the University, she was wildly out of shape. This didn’t stop her, as she credits her coaches and teammates for pushing her to improve physically and mentally.

Former Santa Clara tennis player Katie Le ’14 in conversation with Danielle Slaton during the induction ceremony. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Now, more than a decade later, Le says the lessons she learned at Santa Clara University still influence her life today. She is a proud mother of two young children, and she continues to compete in tennis while balancing her career and family life.

“The last two years, it’s taught me that I could have multiple hard things in my life, do both at the same time and have multiple identities,” Le said.

Then, Scott Travers made the walk to the podium. Travers, part of the class of 2010, goes down as one of the most decorated golfers in Santa Clara history.

Santa Clara men’s golf alumnus Scott Travers ’10 takes a photo with Santa Clara Athletic Director Heather Owens during the induction ceremony. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Travers made history by becoming Santa Clara’s first WCC Golfer of the Year in 2009-2010, also becoming the first Bronco to individually qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Looking back on his time at Santa Clara and as a golfer, Travers reminded the audience that mistakes are bound to happen not just on the golf course, but in the classroom and life after school.

“Growing up in school, you’re taking tests, getting certain grades, trying to be perfect, and golf is rarely perfect, so you learn to manage your mistakes, grow from them, and continue forward. As someone who’s made many mistakes on and off the golf course, I definitely try to do my best to learn from them,” said Travers.

Finally, Julie Ertz, formerly Julie Johnston, one of the most decorated women’s soccer players in program history, was heavily cheered on by the audience as she took to the stage. She joined the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2013 and, in 2015, was one of five players to play every minute of all seven matches en route to winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Santa Clara University Athletic Director puts the Santa Clara Athletics Hall of Fame jacket on 2026 inductee Julie Ertz during the induction ceremony on May 2, 2026. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Ertz joked that she originally did not want to attend Santa Clara. “My mom actually sent me by myself on a flight to a camp here. I cried every night and begged my mom to fly me home, and I said I would never go to Santa Clara,” said Ertz.

“There’s a lot of different styles of leadership, and for me, vocal is something I’m the most comfortable with. I learned that there’s a lot of power and leadership to just listen,” she said, when asked about her leadership style.

Since retiring a few years ago, Ertz has a new perspective on how the newer generation of soccer players look up to her. “Now that I’m retired, you don’t realize the impact of the sport that you have. When you step away and hear players love the way that you approach the game, it’s really sweet,” Ertz said.

Ertz had a big piece of advice to not only student athletes but also students at Santa Clara.

“Adversity has to be your best friend if you want to excel,” said Ertz. “Those adversity moments either make you or break you. Find ways to just understand this moment's hard, but I’m going to make my dreams come true.”

Santa Clara women’s soccer player Addie Whitehouse (right) smiles witnessing an interaction between Julie Ertz and Santa Clara women’s soccer player Kennedy Schoennauer ’27. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

As the event concluded inside the Leavey Center, the Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 left the stage having contributed values of resilience, identity, and growth, emphasizing the strength of the Santa Clara Athletics program. For the next generation of Broncos, their stories show that a path forward demands adversity, commitment, and belief to leave a mark on their school and beyond.