ANCHORAGE, Alaska—An exciting and at times magical 2016 season came to a bittersweet end Thursday for the Chico State volleyball team. The Wildcats, playing in the NCAA Championship Tournament for the first time in eight years, were beaten by top seed Alaska Anchorage 25-21, 25-18, 25-15 in the opening round of the West Regional at Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska.
The loss concluded a season that saw Chico State record a 23-8 record, win the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division title, reach the finals of the CCAA Championship Tournament and be one of the conference's two teams to earn an NCAA Championship Tournament berth.
Olivia Mediano and Kim Wright led the Wildcats with seven kills apiece, with Camryn Rocha adding six winners to the Wildcat attack. Wright and Anna Baytosh each contributed three blocks, while Shannon Cotton recorded a team-high 13 digs on the night.
Even in a losing effort, setter Torey Thompson experienced a historic night. In her final match as a Wildcat, Thompson collected 21 assists to give her 4,586 in her four years at Chico State, passing Sable Villaescusa for No. 1 on the 'Cats' all-time career assists list.
The first set was a see-saw affair from start to finish. The Seawolves jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Chico State answered with three straight points—two coming on kills by Wright and Torey Thompson. Alaska Anchorage slowly built an 11-6 advantage, only to see the Wildcats use a 9-1 run—fueled by three Mediano kills, a Wright/Baytosh combo block and five Seawolves errors—to grab a 15-12 lead.
Alaska Anchorage reeled off a 5-1 to retake the lead at 17-16, but a kill by Wright and a Wright/Torey Thompson combo block put the 'Cats back on top 18-17. The two teams traded the lead, with an Ashton Kershner kill putting Chico State up 21-20. The Seawolves, however, responded with a 5-0 run to outlast the Wildcats and win the set 25-21.
The second set saw Alaska Anchorage roar out to a 5-0 lead, and the Seawolves were ahead 9-4 when Chico State scored six of the next seven points—Rocha racking up a kill and a service ace, while Baytosh teamed with Kershner on a block—to tie the contest at 10-all. Alaska Anchorage responded with six unanswered points, and this time the Wildcats could not recover. Kills by Mediano, Wright and Torey Thompson plus a Wright ace helped the 'Cats close to within 21-17, but the Seawolves closed out the set with a 4-1 run to post the 25-18 victory.
Two Mediano kills and a Wright/Baytosh combo block gave Chico State a 3-1 lead early in the third set, but nine straight Alaska Anchorage points helped the Seawolves surge in front 10-3. Despite kills by Wright, Rocha and Kershner, Alaska Anchorage refused to let the 'Cats stage a comeback, building an 12-point lead at 20-8 and cruising to a 25-15 win, sweeping the match and closing out the Wildcats' 2016 season.
While there is sadness in the Wildcats' camp at the realization that the season is over, the experience of achieving several of the team's goals and making the 2016 squad one of the most successful Chico State volleyball teams in the last several years will stay with Head Coach Cody Hein and his players for a long time to come. And thanks to their efforts, 'Cats fans are no doubt already thinking about 2017 and the new and exciting chapter the team will write in the program's memorable history.
