Box Score LAIE, Hawaii – The Chico State volleyball team wrapped up the three-day Hawaii Invitational Saturday night facing No. 5 BYU-Hawaii, and though the Wildcats dropped a four-set decision to the Seasiders 22-25, 26-24, 11-25, 22-25, Head Coach Cody Hein boarded a plane back to the mainland feeling his squad played as well as any Wildcat team in the past two seasons, giving last year's NCAA Championship semifinalists all they could handle.
With Saturday's loss, Chico State dipped to 1-2 on the season, while BYU-Hawaii improved to 5-0 on the year.
Alex Shurtz led the Wildcats with 16 kills while adding eight digs and three solo blocks. Ellie Larronde turned in her best night of the young season, crushing 14 kills, while Haley Uhland and Torey Thompson combined to dish out 42 assists. Emily Duran and Lauren Orozco paced the 'Cats with 16 digs apiece.
The two teams played a tight contest in the opener, with three points representing the biggest lead in the entire set. Chico State snapped a 10-10 tie, utilizing four Shurtz kills, one apiece by Uhland and Larronde, and a service ace by Orozco to take a 19-17 lead, only to see BYU-Hawaii reel off five unanswered points to go up 22-19. The Seasiders were still ahead 24-21 when a Lindsay Quigley kill kept the 'Cats alive, but Shih Ting Chen responded with the deciding kill to give BYU-Hawaii the hard-fought 25-22 win.
Chico State knotted up the match in the second set, but they had to come from behind to do it. Down 13-10, the Wildcats used an ace by Duran and kills by Quigley, Uhland and Larronde to fuel a 7-0 run to take a 17-13 lead. BYU-Hawaii charged back to go up 22-21, but kills by Shurtz and Larronde bookended a Seasiders error to put the 'Cats back on top 24-22. BYU-Hawaii tied the score by staving off two set points, only to see Larronde pound a pair of kills to provide Chico State with the 26-24 victory.
It was pretty much all BYU-Hawaii in the third set, snapping a 6-all tie by going on a 15-1 to take a commanding 21-7 lead. The Wildcats scored four of the next seven points, but it was far too little and far too late, as the Seasiders rolled to the 25-11 win.
The fourth and final set was another close battle. After splitting the first 14 points, BYU-Hawaii scored seven of the next nine to go up 14-9. Chico State proceeded to tie things up at 14-apiece on the strength of kills by Shurtz and Larronde and a Molly Ratto ace. The 'Cats fell behind again, but a 7-4 run – highlighted by kills from Quigley, Shurtz and Larronde – put Chico State on top 21-20. The lead was short-lived, though, as the Seasiders registered five of the next six points to win the set 25-22 and take the match.
The Chico State volleyball team is back in action next weekend, traveling to Rohnert Park to take part in the Sonoma State-hosted Seawolf Spike Tournament. The Wildcats will take on Montana State-Billings Friday at 11:15 a.m. and No. 17 Western Washington at 3:45 p.m., followed by Saturday matchups with Dominican University (11:15 a.m.) and Hawaii-Pacific (3:45 p.m.).
