Box Score CHICO – The Chico State volleyball team went into the weekend needing to win one of its two remaining home matches to insure a winning record for the 2013 season. The Wildcats decided to take all the suspense out of achieving that goal Friday night, combining a tenacious offensive attack with sparkling defensive play to easily defeat the visiting Humboldt State Lumberjacks 25-22, 25-18, 25-14 at Acker Gym.
The win – Chico State's second straight and fifth in the last six matches – moved the Wildcats to 15-13 on the year and into sole possession of fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 12-9 conference mark. Humboldt State lost for the seventh time in its last eight matches to fall to 11-17 overall and 6-15 in CCAA play.
The 'Cats' top three hitters each registered double-digit kills Friday. Ellie Larronde led the way with 15 winners; Alex Shurtz posted a double-double with 13 kills and 13 digs, and Lindsay Quigley contributed 10 kills and three blocks. Natalie Nordahl also had a productive evening, with eight kills and three blocks on her stat line. Torey Thompson dished out 44 assists and had 10 digs, while Emily Duran chipped in with 11 digs.
Chico State set the tone early, racing out to an 8-1 lead in the opening set – kills by Larronde and Quigley, a Lauren Orozco service ace and a solo block by Shurtz among the highlights. Humboldt State was still down 12-5 when the Lumberjacks went on a 9-1 run to briefly grab a 14-13 lead. The 'Cats stayed close, and with the score tied at 17-all, used kills by Shurtz, Nordahl and Kristyn Casalino to move out in front 22-19. Kills by Nordahl and Quigley down the stretch sealed the Wildcats' 25-22 victory.
Chico State spotted Humboldt the first point of the second set, then answered with five different Wildcats (Shurtz, Quigley, Thompson, Larronde and Casalino) posting kills to take a 10-4 lead. The Lumberjacks once again rallied, trimming the deficit to 18-16 before the Wildcats put an end to the threatened comeback attempt by finishing the set on a 7-2 run – a combo block by Quigley/Nordahl and kills by Thompson, Nordahl and Larronde fueling the late surge – to win going away, 25-18.
The 'Cats saved their best of the evening for last. Falling behind 2-0 in the third set, Chico State scored eight of the next 10 points to take an 8-4 lead. Humboldt could get no closer than three the rest of the way, and with the score 11-7 the Wildcats slowly but surely pulled away, using multiple kills by Larronde and Quigley and another Orozco ace to spark a 10-2 run and go up 21-9. A kill by Shannon Boling and a Larronde/Casalino block finished things off, as the Wildcats took the set 25-14 to record the match sweep.
Chico State wraps up the 2013 season Saturday when Cal Poly Pomona (12-17, 10-11 CCAA) visits Acker Gym. It's also Senior Night, as the Wildcats honor Alex Shurtz and Molly Ratto in a special pre-match ceremony. Festivities begin at 6:45 p.m., with first serve slated for 7.
Fans unable to attend the match in person can follow the action online via Live Stats.
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