CHICO – It will not go down as a season for the ages, but the development of several young players, the emergence of new stars and the promise of better things to come has made 2010 an important year for the Chico State volleyball program. Out of the postseason picture, the Wildcats will put the finishing touches on the 2010 campaign this weekend, hitting the road to take on Cal State Monterey Bay Friday night and San Francisco State on Saturday. Both matches are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Chico State enters play 12-14 overall and in 10th place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 7-13 conference mark. The Wildcats split their final home matches of the season last weekend, beating Cal Poly Pomona Friday before being swept Saturday by conference champion Cal State San Bernardino.
But despite several setbacks – the wrist injury to Makenzie Snyder that forced the All-American hitter to miss the entire season, losing eight of nine matches following a 7-2 start, effectively knocking Chico State out of NCAA Championship Tournament contention – the Wildcats experienced plenty of upside in 2010. Alex Shurtz, Makenzie Fahnestock and Molly Ratto stepped up to deliver productive freshman seasons: Shurtz heads into the final weekend leading the ’Cats in kills (ranking eighth in the CCAA in kills per set and 10th in points); Fahnestock has added 241 kills to the Chico State attack while piling up a team-high 30 service aces; and Ratto has made big passing and defensive contributions as a DS and libero.
Add to that the improved play of sophomores Jessica Leek (285 kills, .257 hitting percentage), Sable Villaescusa (posting her second straight 1,000-assist season) and Jessica Simms (team-high 280 digs), plus the all-around performance of junior Jacqueline Johnson (147 kills, 192 digs, 20 service aces), and Chico State can feel good knowing it already has a strong, talented foundation in place for the 2011 season. And if that wasn’t enough, Snyder – who was second in the nation with 538 kills in 2009 – is also expected to return to active duty next year.
Before the Wildcats starting planning for next season, though, they’d like to finish up the 2010 campaign on a positive note. A weekend sweep would give Chico State a respectable .500 record for the year, but to do it, the ’Cats have to get by two very good CCAA teams vying for postseason berths that both play well on their home floors.
Chico State’s Friday night opponent, Cal State Monterey Bay, is still in the hunt for a postseason bid thanks to a 15-8 overall record and the No. 6 ranking in the West Region. The Otters currently reside in fifth place in the CCAA with a 12-8 conference mark. The Otters have been struggling a bit down the stretch, dropping six of their last nine matches after starting the season 12-2. Monterey Bay split two home matches last weekend, losing to Sonoma State Friday before sweeping Humboldt State on Saturday.
The Otters rank second in the CCAA in blocks (averaging 2.05 a set) and third in service aces (1.77 per set). Monterey Bay boasts the top hitter in the conference, junior OH Rheann Fall who leads the CCAA in kills (384) and kills per set (4.47). Junior MB Tiffaney Riggs is second in the conference in blocks (1.06 a set), while junior MB Melanie Lashbrook ranks seventh in the CCAA with a .307 hitting percentage.
Cal State Monterey Bay is 9-3 on its home court entering the weekend, and have already notched a win against Chico State this season, edging the Wildcats in five sets Oct. 9 at Acker Gym. The ’Cats hold a 12-2 lead in the all-time series with the Otters.
San Francisco State, which takes on the Wildcats Saturday, still has a sliver of hope to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament. Entering the weekend, the Gators are ranked 10th in the West Region with a 13-12 overall record and are seventh in the CCAA with a 10-10 conference mark. Like Monterey Bay, San Francisco State has been stumbling towards the regular season finish line, losing six of it last nine matches. The Gators lost two of three last week; their lone victory was a three-set sweep of Humboldt State on Friday.
As a team, San Francisco State ranks second in the CCAA in digs (averaging 16.34 a set), fourth in assists (12.06 per set) and fifth in kills (12.66 a set). Sophomore setter Iris Tolenada leads the conference with an average of 10.62 assists a set, and sophomore OH Lauren Walsh is seventh in the conference in kills per set (3.28). Junior libero/DS Sarah Kurfess ranks third in the CCAA in digs (4.82 a set), while junior MH Halimah Oswald’s .298 hitting percentage is ninth best in the conference.
The Gators, who snapped a 12-match losing streak to Chico State dating back to the 2000 season with a four-set victory over the Wildcats Oct. 8 at Acker Gym, is 6-4 at home this year but has lost three of its last four at the SFSU Main Gymnasium. Chico State leads the all-time series with San Francisco State, 31-15.
Both Friday and Saturday Chico State volleyball matches will be broadcast live on the Internet on UStream, with former Wildcat star Gillian Heydorff providing color commentary.
CLICK HERE to be connected to the Wildcats’ Internet broadcast.
