Thanks to its great start to the 2015 season, the Chico State volleyball team has generated a fair amount of buzz among Wildcat fans, as evidenced by Tuesday's crowd of over 300 at Acker Gym to see the 'Cats first home match of the campaign. The Wildcats certainly didn't disappoint, treating those in attendance to a convincing three-set victory over Cal State East Bay 25-11, 25-15, 25-16 to capture their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opener.
Shannon Boling registered four
kills and had a hand in a pair of
blocks vs. Cal State East Bay.Tuesday's win snapped Chico State's brief two-match losing streak and moved the Wildcats to 9-2 on the year. Cal State East Bay fell to 2-7 overall and 0-1 in CCAA play.
Olivia Mediano led a balanced Chico State attack with eight kills, while Hannah Wilkins and Anna Baytosh notched six kills apiece. Torey Thompson posted 25 assists, eight digs, three service aces and a pair of blocks; Ashton Kershner tallied four blocks on the defensive end; Shannon Cotton contributed seven digs and two aces, and Jacki Kreymborg also delivered a trio of aces. As a team, the Wildcats registered a .256 hitting percentage in their conference-opening victory.
The 'Cats fell behind early in the first set, but quickly regrouped with an 8-2 run – fueled by kills from Wilkins and Mediano – to go up 10-5. East Bay closed to within 11-7, only to see Chico State score 10 of the next 13 points to extend its advantage to 21-10. A combo block by Kershner and Shannon Boling plus four Pioneers miscues gave the Wildcats the 25-11 win.
Chico State led from start to finish in the second set, breaking open a close 11-9 contest with a 10-4 run, featuring a kill and ace from Thompson, a Wilkins/Boling block and an ace by Cotton. Baytosh and Mediano added late kills and a combo block from Kershner and Thompson sealed the deal as the 'Cats nailed down a 25-15 victory.
The third set was a more tightly played contest, but the Wildcats led pretty much all the way. With the score knotted up at 13-apiece, Chico State ripped off an 11-2 run – Thompson, Boling, Wilkins and Janai Johnson all notching kills – to put East Bay on the brink. A Pioneers error provided the Wildcats with the final point to win the set 25-16 and sweep the match.
Chico State continues conference play this weekend, traveling to Southern California to take on CCAA foes Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday and Cal State L.A. on Saturday. Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m.
