Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROHNERT PARK – The Chico State volleyball team finished the Seawolf Spike Tournament with a split of its final two matches Saturday, and now with the non-conference portion of their season in the rear view mirror, the Wildcats can focus all their attention on California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play, which opens Wednesday night at Acker Gym. The 'Cats began Saturday with a four-set victory over Dominican (25-20, 26-28, 25-19, 25-15), but wrapped things up with a three-set loss to Hawaii Pacific, falling by scores of 16-25, 22-25 and 20-25.

Chico State enters CCAA play with a season record of 3-4. The Wildcats are still looking for their first back-to-back wins of the year.

Ellie Larronde led the Wildcats' offensive attack Saturday, piling up 44 kills over the two Seawolf Spike matches while adding 32 digs. Lindsay Quigley and Hannah Wilkins added 19 and 16 kills, respectively, while setter Torey Thompson doled out 67 assists. Molly Ratto added 25 digs to the 'Cats' cause; Lauren Orozco chipped in with 20 digs, and Emily Duran contributed 24 digs and five service aces. Natalie Nordahl was a defensive force at the net Saturday, posting 11 block assists on the day.

Chico State, trying to avenge their season-opening loss to Hawaii Pacific last weekend, jumped out in front 6-2 early in Saturday's opening set against the Sea Warriors. Hawaii Pacific quickly tied the contest at seven apiece, then slowly but surely built a 19-12 lead. The Wildcats couldn't put together any type of late run to climb back into the contest, and the Sea Warriors rolled to a 25-16 victory.

Hawaii Pacific looked like it would make short work of the second set, snapping a nine-all tie with an 8-0 run to go up 17-9. Emily Duran notched an ace to kick-start the 'Cats, who also benefitted from three Larronde kills and one by Quigley to knot up the contest at 19-19. The set was still even at 22 when the Sea Warriors used two kills and a solo block by Samantha Rummans to score the last three points and come away with the 25-22 win.

The third set was a tightly-played contest, with Hawaii Pacific holding a slim 9-8 lead before scoring seven of the next 11 points to go up 16-12. Kills by Larronde and Haley Uhland and a combo block by Kershner and Nordahl brought Chico State to within 16-15, but the Sea Warriors answered with a late 7-4 run to put the Wildcats on the brink. Facing match point, Quigley delivered a thunderous kill for the 'Cats, only to see Haley Doerfler answer with a kill of her own to give Hawaii Pacific the 25-20 victory and the match.

The Wildcats' first match Saturday against Dominican saw the Penguins break out of an early 8-8 tie with a 6-1 run to take a 14-9 lead in the opening set. Chico State chipped away at the deficit, using four Quigley kills to score eight of the next 10 points to go up 17-16. Dominican promptly tied it up at 17-all, only to see the Wildcats take control late on the strength of kills by Larronde, Ratto and Ashton Kershner. Nordahl delivered the final kill to give the 'Cats a 25-20 win.

The second set was a back-and-forth affair, with a late Larronde kill giving Chico State a 24-23 lead. The Wildcats couldn't close it out, though, as Dominican survived set point to tie things up at 24 apiece. The 'Cats then fought off a pair of set points before the Penguins took advantage of a Chico State error and combined it with a Megan Callen kill to give Dominican the 28-26 victory, knotting up the match at one apiece.

Set three was another hard-fought battle. Chico State utilized kills by Quigley, Thompson, Larronde and Kershner to take an early 9-4 lead, then with score 12-10, the Wildcats went on an 8-2 run to extend their advantage to 20-12. Dominican pulled to within 22-19, but a Quigley kill, a Duran service ace and a Penguins error slammed the door on any Dominican comeback, and the 'Cats prevailed 25-19.

Chico State led from start to finish in the fourth set, building an early 9-4 lead, then scoring 11 of the next 15 points – using a balanced offensive attack featuring kills by Larronde, Wilkins and Kershner – to go up 20-9. Dominican could get no closer than eight the rest of the way, and a Kershner kill put the exclamation point of the Wildcats' 25-15 victory to take the match.

Chico State is back in action Wednesday, playing its CCAA and home opener against Cal State Stanislaus. The Warriors come into the match 3-5 on the season and fresh off back-to-back wins over Hawaii Pacific and Dominican to close out the Seawolf Spike Tournament. The Wildcats take on Stanislaus beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Acker Gym.