Box Score CHICO – The Chico State volleyball team hadn't experienced a whole lot of luck on its home floor through the first half of the 2013-14 season, dropping three of its five matches at Acker Gym. Friday, though, the building reverted back to being the friendly confines, as nearly everything went the Wildcats' way in a sweep of Cal State East Bay, downing the Pioneers 25-18, 25-17, 27-25.
The victory, Chico State's second straight and third in the last four matches, gave the Wildcats a sweep of the season series with East Bay. The 'Cats improved their season record to 10-9, and thanks to Cal State Monterey Bay's loss Friday to Cal State Stanislaus, Chico State moved and into sole possession of fifth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 7-5 conference record. Cal State East Bay dipped to 7-13 overall and 3-9 in CCAA play.
Alex Shurtz provided plenty of winning swings Friday for the 'Cats, leading the team with 17 kills on the night while delivering a pair of solo blocks. Ellie Larronde, Lindsay Quigley and Ashton Kershner combined for another 23 kills, as Chico State posted a potent .376 hitting percentage. Torey Thompson dished out 44 assists, with Emily Duran, Molly Ratto and Lauren Orozco teaming up for 27 digs and six service aces.
The Wildcats attempted to set the tone early, jumping out to an 8-2 lead in the opening set. Cal State East Bay turned the tables, though, scoring 10 of the next 12 points to go in front 12-10. Following a timeout, Chico State collected itself and took control of the contest – aces by Quigley, Orozco and Duran plus kills by Shurtz, Larronde, Kershner, Quigley and Natalie Nordahl fueled a 14-5 run to put the Wildcats up 24-17. A Pioneer service error provided the winning point as Chico State triumphed 25-18.
Cal State East Bay rolled out to a 10-7 lead in the second set, but once again the 'Cats fashioned two sustained runs to shift the momentum. Kills by Quigley and Larronde and a solo block by Nordahl highlighted a 7-0 spurt to put Chico State ahead to stay; then with the score 15-12, the Wildcats put it away with a Ratto ace and kills by Quigley, Shurtz and Kershner to go up 24-15. Shurtz provided the exclamation point with a thunderous kill that gave the Wildcats a 25-17 win.
The third set was a tightly-played affair, with a dozen tie scores and three lead changes. East Bay grabbed an early 10-5 advantage, but the 'Cats answered with a 10-4 run to take a 15-14 lead. Three straight points by the Pioneers put East Bay back on top, and with the score 21-19 Chico State used kills a Orozco ace and kills by Larronde, Thompson and Shurtz to jump back in front 24-23. The Pioneers survived two match points, but two straight East Bay errors provided the winning margin as the 'Cats claimed the 27-25 victory and the match sweep.
The Wildcats return to action Saturday when they host Cal State Monterey Bay (12-8, 6-6 CCAA) in another key conference matchup. First serve at Acker Gym is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Fans not able to attend the match in person can follow the action online via Live Stats.
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