Box Score ARCATA – The Chico State volleyball team's longest road trip of the season is one the Wildcats will not be embracing with great nostalgia anytime soon. Following a Thursday loss at No. 9 Cal State San Bernardino, the 'Cats trekked all the way to Arcata to battle Humboldt State and try to salvage a road split. A first set victory was all the Wildcats could muster, as Humboldt came back to score a 27-29, 25-20, 25-18, 25-18 win Saturday at Lumberjack Arena.
Saturday's loss evened Chico State's season record at 5-5 and dropped the Wildcats to sixth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 3-3 conference mark. Humboldt State improved to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in CCAA play.
Shannon Boling led the Wildcats with 15 kills on the night, with Lindsay Quigley delivering a dozen and Olivia Mediano coming off the bench to match her career high of seven kills while adding 10 digs. Torey Thompson logged 45 assists and piled up 20 digs, while Emily Duran chipped in with another 19 digs.
The Wildcats and Lumberjacks traded points back and forth early in the first set, but Chico State snapped a nine-all tie with three straight winners – two coming on Quigley kills and another on a Quigley/Ellie Larronde combo block. Humboldt State crept to within 15-13, but the 'Cats answered with a pair of Larronde kills and a Kristyn Casalino/Hannah Wilkins block to extend Chico State's advantage to 19-14. The Lumberjacks were still trailing 22-18 when they scored four straight points to knot up the contest. Both teams survived numerous set points as the score climbed, but a Larronde kill and a Humboldt error gave the 'Cats the points they needed to finally edge the 'Jacks 29-27.
Humboldt State came out swinging in the second set, using an early 9-2 run to go up 11-4. Despite kills by Quigley and Boling, the Lumberjacks extended their lead to 17-9. The Wildcats fought back, with two kills by Wilkins highlighting a 5-0 run to pull Chico State to within three. Humboldt was able to regroup and hang on to the lead, outscoring the 'Cats 8-6 down the stretch to even the match with a 25-20 win.
The Lumberjacks led from start to finish in the third set, building an early 10-5 lead and keeping the 'Cats at arm's length for the rest of the contest. With the score 13-9, a Shannon Cotton service ace, kills by Quigley and Natalie Nordahl and a Casalino/Nordahl block got Chico State to within 14-12, but Humboldt scored five of the next six points to go up 19-13. The Wildcats made one last charge, with Quigley providing an ace and Thompson, Boling and Mediano crushing kills to pull to within 21-18, only to see the Lumberjacks reel off four straight points to win going away 25-18.
Two Mediano kills powered Chico State to an early 5-3 lead in the fourth set, but with the score tied at eight-all Humboldt State slowly began to pull away. A 5-0 run gave the Lumberjacks a sizeable 13-8 lead, and despite multiple kills by Casalino and Boling, the Wildcats could get no closer than four the rest of the way, as Humboldt went on to take the set 25-18 and the match.
Chico State has three matches on tap next week. Wednesday the Wildcats travel to Turlock to take on Cal State Stanislaus, then return to Acker Gym to host Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday and Cal State L.A. on Saturday. All matches begin at 7 p.m.
