Box Score SAN BERNARDINO – So tantalizingly close. The Chico State volleyball team, determined to come home with a split of its southern California road trip and beat Cal State San Bernardino for the first time since 1995, came within a whisker of accomplishing both goals Saturday night at Coussoulis Arena. A huge come-from-behind win by the Wildcats in the fourth set pushed the match to the limit, but in the end it was the 13th-ranked Coyotes who escaped with the 25-23, 24-26, 25-16, 24-26, 15-9 victory.
Saturday's loss – Chico State's third straight – dropped the Wildcats to 10-12 on the season and into seventh place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 7-8 conference mark. Cal State San Bernardino maintained its two game lead atop the CCAA standings, improving to 18-5 overall and 14-1 in conference play.
Alex Shurtz led the Chico State offense, blasting a match-high 21 kills while contributing 10 digs and two blocks. Lindsay Quigley delivered 13 kills and had a hand in six blocks; Ellie Larronde posted 10 kills, and Torey Thompson doled out 46 assists, collected 16 digs and registered five blocks. Emily Duran paced the Wildcats with 29 digs on the night.
San Bernardino led for almost the entire first set, building a 10-8 advantage before going on a 7-2 run to go up by seven. Chico State used kills by Quigley, Shurtz, Thompson, Ashton Kershner and Natalie Nordahl to pull to within 20-19, only to see the Coyotes answer with three straight points to pad their lead to 23-19. Three Quigley kills kept the 'Cats close, but though Chico State survived one set point, San Bernardino delivered a winning block off a Shurtz attack to post the 25-23 victory.
Chico State came out strong in the second set, with three Shurtz kills powering the Wildcats to an early 6-2 lead. San Bernardino scored the next two points, only to see the Wildcats rip off five straight – all Shurtz kills – to go up 11-4. The Coyotes crept to within 14-10, but the 'Cats held them at bay, using a kill by Quigley and a Quigley/Thompson block to help push the lead back to seven. San Bernardino refused to buckle, though, using a 13-4 run to take a 23-21 lead. The Wildcats were not to be denied, scoring three straight to jump back in front, then after the Coyotes survived one set point to tie up the contest at 24-all, Chico State used a San Bernardino error and a solo block by Ellie Larronde to win the set 26-24 and knot up the match at a victory apiece.
The Coyotes were the aggressors in the third set, scoring five of the first nine points followed by a 9-0 run to grab a commanding 14-4 lead. It was too much of a hole for the Wildcats to dig out of – though Chico State trimmed the deficit to seven on two occasions, San Bernardino easily rolled to a 25-16 win to once again take control of the match.
A Molly Ratto ace and kills by Quigley and Shannon Boling highlighted a 7-2 Wildcat run to start the fourth set. The Coyotes pulled to within 10-8, only to see Chico State grind out four straight points – a Larronde kill, a Lauren Orozco ace and a combo block by Thompson/Quigley leading the way – to extend its lead to six. San Bernardino made it a 14-13 contest, but the 'Cats answered with a 7-1 run to go up by seven. The Coyotes has an answer of their own, scoring nine straight points to grab a 23-21 lead. Chico State rallied, using kills by Shurtz and Kristyn Casalino to jump back on top 24-23, and after San Bernardino survived one set point, the Wildcats put the hammer down with kills by Boling and Larronde to emerge with the match-extending 26-24 victory.
Unfortunately for Chico State, the fifth and deciding set was all San Bernardino. The Coyotes roared out of the gate with five straight points, and though the Wildcats were able to pull within 9-5 on the strength of Shurtz, Quigley and Casalino kills, there would be no huge comeback run on this night for the 'Cats, as San Bernardino maintained a safe advantage to the finish and cruised to the match-winning 15-9 victory.
The Wildcats return home next weekend to face No. 14 Sonoma State Friday and San Francisco State on Saturday. Both matches get underway at 7 p.m. at Acker Gym.
