CHICO – The Chico State volleyball team has been taking care of business at home so far this season, fashioning a perfect 5-0 record at Acker Gym. The Wildcats have been nearly as potent away from the friendly confines, winning seven of 10 matches to earn the nation’s No. 24 ranking. This weekend the ’Cats, winners of four straight, attempt to continue their success on the road as they travel to southern California to take on Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday and Cal State L.A. on Saturday. Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m.
Chico State enters the weekend action 12-3 on the season, and in third place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 7-2 conference mark. The Wildcats are coming off a pair of victories last weekend, beating Cal State Monterey Bay Friday and sweeping Cal State East Bay Saturday.
In addition to being near the top of the standings, the ’Cats also rank among the conference leaders in several team statistical categories. Chico State is third in the CCAA in hitting percentage (.231), fourth in assists (12.23 a set) and fifth in kills (13.00 per set). Individually, Sable Villaescusa is second among conference setters, averaging 10.67 assists a set, while Jessica Leek, the reigning CCAA Player of the Week, is fourth in the conference in service aces (0.43 a set), seventh in hitting percentage (.313), eighth in points (3.85 per set) and 10th in kills (3.19 a set). Makenzie Snyder is eighth among CCAA hitters in kills (3.29 per set) and ninth in points (3.64 a set); Jacqueline Johnson ranks 10th in hitting percentage (.302), and Lauren Orozco is 10th in the conference in digs (3.68 per set). Snyder heads into the weekend needing just 20 kills to become only the sixth Chico State player ever to record 1,000 career kills.
The Wildcats’ Friday opponent, Cal State Dominguez Hills, has struggled so far in 2011. After winning their season-opening match, the Toros have dropped 12 straight, including losses last weekend to San Francisco State and Cal Poly Pomona. As a result, Dominguez Hills is mired in last place in the CCAA with an 0-9 conference mark.
Top players for the Toros are sophomore outside hitter Elizabeth Krieger, who leads the team in both kills (3.05 a set) and digs (3.05 per set); senior setter Delea Pursel, who ranks seventh in the CCAA in assists (9.10 a set), and junior middle blocker Delea Pursel, averaging a team-high 0.74 blocks a set.
Chico State won both meetings with Dominguez Hills last season, and lead the all-time series with the Toros, 26-7.
Cal State L.A., which hosts Chico State Saturday, enters the weekend with a 6-8 season record and is tied with Cal State Stanislaus for eighth place in the CCAA with a 3-6 conference mark. The Golden Eagles have lost seven of their last nine matches; last weekend Cal State L.A. fell to both Cal Poly Pomona and San Francisco State.
Despite its sub-.500 record, Cal State L.A. ranks fourth among CCAA teams in blocks (2.08 a set), fourth in service aces (1.69 per set) and fifth in digs (15.93 a set). Junior middle blocker Marquis Mora, an All-CCAA First Team selection last year, leads the Golden Eagles in kills (2.31 a set), and ranks third in the conference in service aces (0.44 per set), fourth in blocks (1.09 a set) and fifth in hitting percentage (.319). Senior outside hitter Natalia Gonzalez averages 2.91 kills a set, while junior setter Kaylynne Taeatafa ranks eighth in the CCAA with 8.67 assists per set.
The Wildcats and Golden Eagles split their two meetings last season, but Cal State L.A. enjoys a 28-7 lead in the all-time series between the two teams.
Wildcat fans wanting to follow the action online can do so via
Live Stats. Friday’s Chico State-Cal State Dominguez Hills match will also feature live video streaming beginning at 6:40 p.m.;
CLICK HERE to access the free webcast.
