Box Score SEASIDE – The Chico State volleyball team racked up a much-needed win Friday night at the Otter Sports Complex in Seaside, but a scrappy Cal State Monterey Bay squad certainly made the Wildcats work for it. The ’Cats took the first two sets of the match, only to be pushed to a fifth and deciding game by the host Otters. Chico State stiffened just in the nick of time to prevail 25-22, 25-18, 19-25, 20-25, 15-11 to snap a three-match losing streak and move the Wildcats into a three-way tie for fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings.
With the win, Chico State improves to 11-4 overall and 5-3 in the CCAA. Cal State Monterey Bay saw its three-match winning streak go by the boards Friday to slip to 9-7 on the season and 3-5 in conference play.
Alex Shurtz led an evenly-balanced Wildcat offense with 16 kills while contributing a pair of service aces and two solo blocks. After sitting out Wednesday’s loss to Cal State Stanislaus, Ellie Larronde returned to the Chico State lineup Friday and hammered 14 kills for the ’Cats, with Lindsay Quigley delivering nine winners and Hannah Wilkins and Katie Morley chipping in with seven and six kills, respectively. Sable Villaescusa doled out 47 assists, while Jessica Simms, Emily Duran and Molly Ratto kept the ball alive all night long for Chico State, combining for 57 digs.
Chico State took control early in the first set. With the Wildcats leading 5-4, kills by Larronde and Wilkins spearheaded a 6-1 run to extend the ’Cats advantage to 11-6. Monterey Bay came roaring back to go out in front 16-15; three ties and two lead changes later, the set was all even at 20-apiece. Chico State finished strong, as kills by Wilkins and Shurtz – combined with three Otters errors – gave the Wildcats the points needed to wrap up the 25-22 victory.
The ’Cats raced out to an 11-4 lead in the second set on the strength of a Shurtz service ace and kills by Larronde, Villaescusa, Shurtz, Quigley and Morley. Chico State was still up 15-9 when Monterey Bay climbed back into the contest, scoring five of the next six points to pull within 16-14. The Wildcats refused to let the lead get away, as kills by Larronde, Shurtz and Villaescusa fueled a late 9-4 run and gave Chico State the 25-18 win.
Determined to avoid a match sweep, Monterey Bay quickly set the tone in the third set by jumping out to an 11-4 lead. Chico State fought back, using a Simms ace, a Wilkins/Quigley block and three Otters errors to score five unanswered points and pull to within 11-9. The Otters answered by extending their lead back to six, and the Wildcats, having to once again play catch-up, could get no closer than four the rest of the way, as Monterey Bay secured the 25-19 victory.
The ’Cats took an early 5-3 lead in the fourth set, only to see the Otters score five of the next six points to go in front 8-6. Chico State battled back to tie the contest at 12-all; Shurtz leading the way with a kill and solo block. Monterey Bay regained the lead at 18-15, and though the Wildcats were able to twice trim the deficit to two, the Otters would not relinquish the lead, posting a 25-20 victory to force a fifth and deciding set.
Chico State took an early 4-2 lead in the finale, but Monterey Bay scrambled to tie things up at 5-5. Three Larronde kills put the Wildcats back in front 8-7, and a Duran ace plus kills by Villaescusa and Shurtz steadily pushed the ’Cats’ advantage to 14-11. Shurtz then applied the final nail to the Otters’ coffin with a solo block to give Chico State the 15-11 win and the match.
The Wildcats head to the Bay Area Saturday to wrap up their five-match road trip, taking on Cal State East Bay. The Pioneers (6-9 overall, 1-7 CCAA) lost a five set decision to Cal State Stanislaus Friday to drop their second straight and seventh in the last eight matches. Saturday’s action starts at 7 p.m. at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward; fans came follow the match online via Live Stats.
CLICK HERE for Live Stats to Saturday's Chico State-Cal State East Bay volleyball match.
