The Chico State volleyball team is less than a week away from its California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opener, and with confidence running high, the Wildcats – a perfect 6-0 on the young season – face one more non-conference challenge before taking on Cal State East Bay next Tuesday at Acker Gym. The 'Cats head north this weekend to play four matches in the Western Oregon Invitational, taking place Friday and Saturday in Monmouth, Ore.
The Wildcats kick off the Western Oregon Invitational Friday at 9:30 a.m. against Notre Dame de Namur, followed by a 2:30 p.m. match versus host school Western Oregon. On Saturday Chico State will battle Concordia University (Ore.) at 9:30 a.m., then the 'Cats will wrap up the tournament with a 5 p.m. tilt against Wisconsin-Parkside.
Wildcat fans can keep up with the action online with Live Stats via the Wildcat Athletics website.
Chico State enters the weekend as one of only three CCAA teams who have yet to be beaten (Cal State L.A. and Stanislaus State are the others). The Wildcats' six-match winning streak to begin the 2015 season matches the start of the Chico State teams of 2008 and 2012. The 1992 edition of the Wildcats volleyball team won its first seven matches to begin the season.
The 'Cats as a team currently rank first among the 13 CCAA teams in kills (244), assists (217), service aces (37), digs (348) and solo blocks.
Individually, several Wildcats are among the CCAA top 10 leaders in various categories:
-- Olivia Mediano is ranked ninth in kills (51) and sixth in kills per set (3.40)
-- Kim Wright is eighth in the conference in hitting percentage (.378) and ninth in kills per set (3.29)
-- Ashton Kershner is third in the CCAA in hitting percentage (.476)
-- Torey Thompson ranks second in assists (151), fourth in assists per set (9.44) and fifth in service aces (7)
-- Shannon Cotton is second in the conference in aces (9), digs (80) and digs per set (4.44)
-- Anna Baytosh is second in the CCAA in solo blocks (3)
Notre Dame de Namur, the first of Chico State's two Friday opponents, is off to a solid 3-1 start on the season, with wins over Cal State East Bay, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Monterey Bay in last week's Route 92 Showdown. The Argonauts have already won more matches than they did in all of 2014, when the team finished 2-25 on the year.
Friday will mark the first time Chico State and Notre Dame de Namur have met on the volleyball court since 2009. The Wildcats have won all 13 previous meetings with the Argonauts.
Host school Western Oregon, which also takes on the 'Cats Friday, enters the weekend 1-4 on the year. The Wolves, trying to improve on last season's 5-21 record, dropped their first four decisions of 2015 before downing Lewis & Clark College Tuesday in four sets.
Chico State beat Western Oregon in last year's season-opening Seattle Pacific Tournament and has won eight of the 10 all-time meetings with the Wolves.
Portland-based Concordia University, which goes head-to-head with the Wildcats Saturday, is making quite a splash in the team's first year as a Division II program. The Cavaliers are 4-0 overall, including a season-opening upset victory over No. 7 Grand Valley State. In 2014 Concordia posted a 19-10 record in NAIA play.
Saturday's tilt will be the first volleyball match ever between Chico State and Concordia.
The Wildcats' second Saturday opponent, Wisconsin-Parkside, comes from Kenosha, Wis. to compete in the Western Oregon Invitational. The Rangers are 2-2 so far this season, splitting four matches last weekend at the Ferris State Invitational in Big Rapids, Mich. Wisconsin-Parkside finished the 2014 season with an overall 15-13 record.
Chico State has only faced Wisconsin-Parkside once before, with the Rangers winning a five-set decision way back in August, 1997.
