Box Score SEASIDE – The Chico State volleyball team got its weekend road trip off to a very successful start Friday, venturing into The Kelp Bed and handing host Cal State Monterey Bay a four-set defeat to sweep the season series with the Otters. The Wildcats posted an impressive .288 hitting percentage in registering the 25-17, 22-25, 25-16, 25-17 victory to get back to the .500 mark in both season and conference play.
 
Friday's win evens Chico State's overall mark at 9-9 and improved the Wildcats' California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) record to 7-7. Cal State Monterey Bay fell to 5-13 overall and 5-9 in CCAA play.

 

Several Wildcat hitters put up huge numbers Friday. Ellie Larronde led the way with 17 kills and contributed 13 digs; Lindsay Quigley had 15 kills; Shannon Boling added 14 kills and two blocks, and Olivia Mediano chipped in with a dozen kills and a pair of service aces. Torey Thompson filled up the stat sheet to the tune of 52 assists, 10 digs and three aces, while Emily Duran racked up 21 digs on the night.
 
Kills by Mediano and Larronde got Chico State rolling early in the first set, but after grabbing a quick 3-1 lead, Monterey Bay scored five of the next seven points to go up 6-5. The Wildcats answered with a 13-5 run – fueled by multiple kills from Larronde and Quigley, back-to-back service aces by Thompson and a combo block by Boling and Kristyn Casalino – to jump back in front 18-11. The Otters could get no closer than five the rest of the way, as a Mediano ace and late kills by Boling, Mediano and Quigley powered the 'Cats to a 25-17 victory.
 
The second set saw Monterey Bay race out to a 6-2 advantage, but an Anu Munkhtur ace and kills by Larronde, Thompson, Boling, Mediano and Casalino highlighted a 12-5 Chico State run to put the Wildcats in front 14-11. The Otters tallied seven of the next nine points to go up 18-16, but the 'Cats countered with kills by Larronde, Boling and Mediano to regain the lead at 22-21. Monterey Bay then picked the perfect time to mount a set-deciding rally, scoring four unanswered points to steal a 25-22 victory and even the match at one win apiece.
 
Chico State was all business in the third set, leading from wire to wire. The Wildcats scored the first four points and quickly built a 10-3 lead. Monterey Bay scored three unanswered points to creep to within four, but the 'Cats ripped off a 6-1 run – Larronde, Quigley and Mediano all providing kills – to extend their advantage to 16-7. To their credit, the Otters continued to chip away at the deficit, but simply ran out of time – late kills by Casalino, Boling, Quigley and Mediano ultimately sealed Chico State's 25-16 victory.
 
The two teams split the opening 12 points of the fourth set before the Wildcats gradually took control of the proceedings. A Munkhtur ace and multiple kills by Boling, Quigley and Mediano help the 'Cats open up a 15-9 lead, and though Monterey Bay pulled to within 20-16, kills by Boling, Mediano and Quigley capped a late 5-1 run to give the Wildcats the 25-17 win and the match.  
 
Chico State wraps up its weekend road trip Saturday, as the Wildcats travel to Hayward to take on Cal State East Bay (6-13, 3-11 CCAA). First serve is slated for 7 p.m. Fans can follow the action online with Live Stats and live streaming video via the Wildcat Athletics website.

CLICK HERE for Chico State-Cal State East Bay Live Stats