Box Score HAYWARD – The Chico State volleyball team was a little slow out of the blocks Saturday, spotting Cal State East Bay the first set of its match with the Pioneers. The Wildcats, determined not to repeat the mistakes made earlier in the week against Cal State Stanislaus, had to battle but did not lose another set the rest of the night, downing East Bay 17-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-15 at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward. The victory was the ’Cats’ second straight and wrapped up the team’s five-match road swing on a positive note.
With the win, Chico State improved to 12-4 overall and moved into sole possession of fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 6-3 conference record. Cal State East Bay dropped its third straight decision and eighth in the last nine matches to fall to 6-10 on the year and 1-8 in CCAA play.
Alex Shurtz extended her streak of matches with double-digit kills to 16 Saturday, hammering home a match-high 19 winners to go along with 10 digs and three solo blocks. Hannah Wilkins delivered 10 kills and three blocks for the ’Cats, with Ellie Larronde chipping in with nine non-returnables. Sable Villaescusa handed out 42 assists, with Jessica Simms posting a team-high 17 digs. As a team, the Wildcats posted a solid .252 hitting percentage on the night and collected a season-high 10 total blocks.
The Wildcats broke out to an early 3-1 lead in the opening set, and were still ahead 5-4 when Cal State East Bay scored 13 of the next 16 points to go up 17-8. Four Shurtz kills and a Wilkins winner sparked an 8-3 run to pull Chico State to within 20-16, but the Pioneers responded by posting five of the final six points to win going away, 25-17.
In the second set, East Bay grabbed a quick 4-1 advantage, but kills by Wilkins and Larronde highlighted a 7-3 Wildcat run to put Chico State on top 8-7. The Pioneers roared back to establish a 13-11 lead, but a Shurtz service ace and kills by Wilkins and Katie Morley led another charge to put ’Cats back in front 16-14. With the score tied at 21-apiece, the Wildcats took ultimate control of the set, with a Larronde kill putting the exclamation point on Chico State’s 25-22 victory.
The third set was tight early on until East Bay ripped off an 8-2 run to go up 12-6. The Wildcats answered with kills by Larronde, Villaescusa and Shurtz to score 10 of the next 12 points to take a 16-14 lead. The Pioneers would jump back in front 19-18, but three straight miscues immediately handed the lead back to the ’Cats. With the score knotted up at 21-all, a Morley/Villaescusa block and kills by Shurtz and Lindsay Quigley sealed the deal for Chico State, notching a 25-23 win.
A pair of kills by both Shurtz and Quigley powered the Wildcats to an early 6-2 lead in the fourth set. Chico State extended its advantage to 16-11, but East Bay scored three unanswered points to cut the deficit to two. The ’Cats were able to quell the Pioneer rally, using an Emily Duran ace and kills by Wilkins and Villaescusa to spearhead a 9-1 run down the stretch to wrap up the 25-15 win and the match.
The Wildcats return home next weekend to host Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday and Cal State L.A. Saturday, with both matches scheduled for 7 p.m. Due to floor damage in Acker Gym, the Wildcats will play each contest in Shurmer Gym. It will mark the first time in 12 years a Chico State volleyball team has played a regular season match in Shurmer.
