The Chico State volleyball team knew going into Friday night's home match against Cal State East Bay that it needed to start stringing together some victories to strengthen its chances of playing in the postseason. The Wildcats definitely rose to the challenge against a very good Pioneers squad, thrilling the Acker Gym crowd with easily the team's best performance of the year, sweeping East Bay 25-19, 25-21, 25-17 to notch back-to-back wins for the first time since September 1.
Friday's victory squared the Wildcats' season record at 10-10 while improving to 4-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division. Cal State East Bay saw its three-match winning streak go by the boards, dropping to 12-6 overall and 5-4 in CCAA play.
Olivia Mediano and Bekah Boyle led the offensive charge for the 'Cats, with each registering 11 kills on the night. Kelley Jacome added eight kills, while Kim Wright contributed five kills, eight blocks and three service aces. Tristen Thompson also racked up three aces to go along with a match-high 17 digs, and the setter tandem of McKenna Carroll and Nicole Desrochers combined to dish out 40 assists for the victorious Wildcats.
Thompson set the tone in the opening set, rifling three straight aces to give the Wildcats an early 10-6 lead. East Bay knotted up the contest with four unanswered points, and things were still tied at 17-all when the Wildcats slowly pulled away—an ace by Carroll, a Wright/Anna Baytosh combo block and kills by Boyle, Jacome and Baytosh sparked a 7-1 run to put the Wildcats on top 24-18. The Pioneers survived one set point, but Boyle delivered the decisive kill that gave Chico State the 25-19 victory.
Set number two saw the Wildcats jump out to a 10-7 lead, only to see East Bay come back and tie the score. A Makaela Keeve solo block put Chico State on top 14-13, and the Wildcats would never relinquish the lead—a Mediano ace and kills by Keeve and Jacome capped off a 5-0 run to make it 18-13, and Wright would later hammer home a kill and back-to-back aces to extend the 'Cats' advantage to 24-18. The Pioneers tried to claw their way back, but a Mediano kill sealed the deal on Chico State's 25-21 win.
The Wildcats kept their foot on the gas in the third set, grabbing a quick 4-0 lead courtesy of a Brooke Fogel ace and kills by Baytosh and Mediano. Chico State would never trail, and even when East Bay closed to within two, the 'Cats responded by scoring nine of the last 12 points—Baytosh and Wright combined for a monster block, with Mediano, Keeve, Boyle and Jacome all posting kills down the stretch—to stream-roll their way to a 25-17 victory and the match sweep.
Chico State wraps up a busy week Saturday with its third home match in five days. The Wildcats take on Cal State Monterey Bay (12-6, 6-4 CCAA) beginning at 7 p.m. at Acker Gym.
