ROCKLIN – The Chico State volleyball team avoided a letdown Tuesday on the heels of its big weekend victory over No. 17-ranked Western Washington – the Wildcats needed just three sets to down William Jessup 25-13, 25-20, 25-22 at the Warrior Dome in Rocklin, extending their early-season win streak to four straight.
Tuesday’s win improved Chico State’s record to 4-1 on the year, while William Jessup fell to 0-10 for the season. The Wildcats made just nine attack errors and posted an impressive .403 attack percentage on the night, and with the entire roster seeing playing time, the individual statistics were evenly distributed. Alex Shurtz led the ’Cats with nine kills and a .583 attack percentage, while in two sets Jessica Leek chipped in with eight kills while converting 61.5 percent of her attacks.
Sable Villaescusa piled up 23 assists in her two sets of action, Lauren Orozco contributed a team-high eight digs, and Kristan Music and Kelsie Hanson each registered two solo blocks on the defensive end.
Chico State used kills by Jacqueline Johnson, Makenzie Snyder and Shurtz to jump out to a quick 11-3 lead in the match’s first set; William Jessup could get no closer than six points the rest of the way. With the score 23-13, a Snyder kill and a Villaescusa service ace sealed the deal and put the finishing touches on the Wildcats’ 25-13 victory.
The Warriors grabbed an early 5-3 lead in the second set, but Chico State answered by scoring 11 of the next 13 points – three kills by Leek plus two each from Shurtz and Villaescusa powered the ’Cats to a 14-7 advantage. William Jessup battled back to trim the deficit to one, but with the score 19-18, the Wildcats ripped off a 6-2 run – highlighted by two Shurtz kills and an ace by Leek – to give Chico State the 25-20 win.
The third set was a back and forth affair early on, until William Jessup went on an 8-2 run to go up 14-10. The Warriors were still ahead 22-19 when the Wildcats put the set away with six unanswered points – kills by Music, Hanson and Sophia Somers, a Somers service ace and a solo block by Hanson pushed the ’Cats to the match-ending 25-22 victory.
BOX SCORE
Chico State will open up California Collegiate Athletic Association play this Friday, as the Wildcats travel to Rohnert Park to face the Sonoma State Seawolves. The match is slated to begin at 7 p.m. at The Wolves’ Den.
