SEASIDE – A dozen times the Chico State volleyball team was a point away from dropping the first set at CSU Monterey Bay Saturday. And a dozen times the Wildcats fought off set point. The Wildcats went on to win the set 38-36 behind three straight kills by Gillian Heydorff and then held off the Otters for a 38-36, 23-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-8 victory Saturday night at the Kelp Bed.
It was a gritty performance indicative of a battle-tested group of veterans. Not bad for a team featuring four true freshmen, two sophomores and only one senior in the starting lineup. It was the ninth straight win for Chico State, which improved to 11-1 overall and 2-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
The Chico State faithful will finally get a chance to catch the Wildcats at home this weekend when they host 2nd-ranked Cal State San Bernardino Friday night and Cal Poly Pomona Saturday. Both matches will start at 7 pm.
CSU Monterey Bay fell to 5-4 overall and 1-1 in the CCAA with the loss.
Heydorff hit .310 on the way to a match-high 28 kills, and also notched 22 digs. Makenzie Snyder had four kills to fend off set points in the opening set and went on to rack up 25 kills and 20 digs. True freshman setter Sable Villaescusa dished out a career-high 63 assists to go along with 10 digs and seven kills without an attacking error. True freshman Jessica Leek finished with 14 kills while hitting .333, while fellow freshman Jessica Simms racked up a match-high 24 digs.
The Wildcats trailed 24-22 in the opening set before a block by Jacqueline Johnson and Leek kept them alive. After an attack error by the Otters, the teams exchanged points eight times in a row. First the Otters would score to give them set point, and then the Wildcats would find a way to stay alive.
Snyder’s kill tied the set at 25-25, and her solo block made it 26-26. Heydorff kills made it 27-27 and then 28-28. And following a CSU Monterey Bay attack error that made it 29-29, Snyder’s kills made it 30-30, 31-31, and then 32-32. Her ace that followed gave the Wildcats their first set point of the night at 33-32, but the Otters reeled off back-to-back points to re-take control. Chico State scored the next two points and CSU Monterey Bay the two after that, giving the Otters their 12th set point at 36-35.
The true freshman Villaescusa played the next three points like a veteran, however, feeding Heydorff for three straight kills to give Chico State an amazing first set victory.
The thrill didn’t last, however, as the host Otters led for almost the entirety of the second set before winning it to tie the match at one set apiece.
Chico State forged back into the lead with a relatively easy third set that it sealed by winning the final four points, but CSU Monterey Bay was not going to go down without a fight, and won the fourth set to force a final.
Kills by Snyder, Leek, and Villaescusa helped the Wildcats forge out to a 5-2 lead, and another Leek kill made it 12-8, putting the Wildcats into control for good.
BOX SCORE
