CHICO – With four straight wins under its belt, the Chico State volleyball team takes a nice bit of momentum into this weekend as the Wildcats open California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play with road tilts against Sonoma State Friday and Humboldt State on Saturday. Both matches are slated to start at 7 p.m.

Chico State enters conference play 4-1 on the young season after winning three of four in last weekend’s Coyote Labor Day Classic and handing William Jessup a three-set defeat on Tuesday. After dropping four of their first six sets to open the season, the Wildcats have won 12 straight by an average of seven points a set. Against William Jessup, the ’Cats committed just nine attack errors en route to an impressive .403 hitting percentage.

So far on the season, Chico State has posted a team hitting percentage of .263, while individually Makenzie Snyder is tied for second in the CCAA in kills (63) while ranking third in the conference in kills per set (3.94) and fourth in points per set (4.50). Sable Villaescusa is second among CCAA setters, averaging 10.38 assists a set.

Sonoma State, Chico State’s Friday night opponent, is 2-2 on the season, having split four matches last weekend at the Hilton Waikiki Beach Invitational. The Seawolves, coming off a 17-10 season in 2010 and an appearance in the NCAA West Regionals, are led by a pair of All-CCAA outside hitters – junior Ally Sather (currently ranked eighth in the conference with a 3.53 kills per set average) and senior Keala Peterson (3.35 kills a set).

Sonoma State has won 30 of the 55 meetings all-time with Chico State, including both meetings last season. The Wildcats have dropped three of the last four matches played at the Wolves’ Den in Rohnert Park.

Humboldt State, which faces Chico State Saturday, has already won more matches this season than they did the entire 2010 campaign. The Lumberjacks, dead last in the CCAA last year with a 2-24 record, is 3-1 so far in 2011, and has won three in a row heading into the weekend. The ’Jacks lost its season opener over the weekend in its own Humboldt State Volleyball Tournament, but rebounded to reel off victories against Saint Martin’s, Academy of Art and Notre Dame de Namur.

The Lumberjacks as a team are tied for the conference lead in blocks per set (2.33) and are second in the CCAA in service aces per set (2.58). Humboldt State’s most explosive player is senior outside hitter Oceana Matsubu, who tops the CCAA with 5.50 kills per set. Sophomore setter Bailey Kotas in fourth in the conference in assists (9.83 a set), and junior middle blocker Allison Drobish leads the CCAA in total blocks, averaging 1.67 per set.

Chico State has beaten Humboldt State 30 of 39 times dating back to 1998, with the Wildcats winning the last eight meetings, including both matches last year. The ’Cats have also won the last four matches played at Lumberjack Arena.

Friday’s Chico State-Sonoma State match will be available online via Live Stats and also through live video streaming courtesy of the Seawolf Sports Network.