CHICO – Following seven season-opening road matches, the Chico State volleyball team finally gets a chance to spend some time with the home fans. For the first time since 2004, the Wildcats kick off California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play with four straight matches at Acker Gym, beginning with a Friday showdown versus red-hot Cal Poly Pomona and a Saturday tilt against Humboldt State. Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m.

Chico State enters the weekend 6-1 on the year. Last weekend the ’Cats took three of four at the Seawolf Spike Tournament in Rohnert Park. Though Chico State’s unbeaten streak ended Saturday at the hands of No. 18 Western Washington, the six straight wins to open the 2012 campaign matched the 2008 Wildcat squad for the best start to a season since Head Coach Cody Hein took over the program 10 years ago.

The ’Cats have established a reputation in recent years of being tough to beat at Acker Gym. Last season Chico State won eight of 12 home matches, and since 2006 are 45-23 (a .662 winning percentage) on its home floor.

The Wildcats will face a stiff conference-opening challenge Friday against Cal Poly Pomona. The Broncos, 5-3 on the season, have won five straight matches, including Wednesday’s three-set sweep of Humboldt State to open CCAA play. Pomona is looking to improve on its 14-13 record and fifth place conference finish in 2011. The Wildcats beat the Broncos in both meetings last season, but Pomona holds a 23-13 edge in the all-time series between the two teams.

Humboldt State, which will play Cal State Stanislaus Friday before heading to Chico the following night, is 2-6 on the year. The Lumberjacks have lost three straight since beating Notre Dame de Namur last Friday. Humboldt was 8-18 in 2011 and finished 11th in the CCAA with a 5-17 conference mark. The Wildcats and Lumberjacks split their two conference matches a year ago, with Chico State winning 31 of 40 head-to-head meetings dating back to 2001.

If you can’t make it out to out in person to see Chico State volleyball in action, you can follow the action online with Live Stats via the Wildcat Athletics website.

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