The Chico State volleyball team continues its busy pre-conference schedule this week, competing in a second multi-day, multi-team tournament. Fresh off starting the year with three wins at last weekend's Route 92 Classic, the Wildcats will travel to Turlock to take part in the West Region Volleyball Showcase, taking place Thursday through Saturday at Fitzpatrick Arena on the Stanislaus State campus.
The 'Cats will start off the three-day event Thursday at 5 p.m. when they go head-to-head with Alaska Fairbanks. Friday Chico State plays twice, taking on Concordia-Irvine at 10 a.m. and Western Oregon at 5:30 p.m. Saturday the Wildcats wrap up the West Region Volleyball Showcase with a 5 p.m. match against Hawaii Pacific.
Fans can follow the action on the Internet via Live Stats, available through the Wildcat Athletics website. Live streaming video will also be available online.
Chico State enters the West Region Volleyball Showcase 3-1 on the young season. The Wildcats dropped their first match of the 2016 campaign, bowing to Dominican University last Friday, then ripped off three straight victories, topping Holy Names, Notre Dame de Namur and Academy of Art.
Alaska-Fairbanks, Chico State's Thursday opponent, is 1-2 heading into the Showcase. The Nanooks (6-21 in 2015, 6-14 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference) dropped two of three last weekend at the Hawaii Invitational. Chico State is 7-1 all-time versus Alaska-Fairbanks and has not lost a match to the Nanooks since 1998.
Concordia-Irvine has won five straight to start the 2016 season. After going 4-0 at their own Labor Day Classic last weekend, the Eagles (19-8, 14-4 Pacific West Conference in 2015) needed just three sets to down Western New Mexico at home on Monday. Friday will mark the first-ever meeting between Concordia and the 'Cats.
Friday's late match against Western Oregon will carry some extra-special meaning. For the first time, Chico State will go up against longtime Wildcats assistant coach Tommy Gott, who was hired as the Wolves' Head Coach in April. Western Oregon (8-21, 5-15 GNAC in 2015) is 0-3 on the year, having fallen in three straight matches last weekend at the Concordia (Ore.) Labor Day Tournament. The Wildcats have nine of the 11 prior meetings with the Wolves.
Saturday's opponent, Hawaii Pacific, is 3-2 on the year. After dropping their season opener to nationally-ranked Alaska-Anchorage, the Sharks (15-13, 10-10 Pac West in 2015) won three of four at last weekend's Hawaii Invitational. Hawaii Pacific is 2-0 all-time against Chico State.
Following the West Region Volleyball Showcase, the Wildcats will have one more pre-conference tune-up (Monday's 2016 home opener against William Jessup) before kicking off California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play Friday, Sept. 16 against Cal State East Bay.
