When things aren't going well, a coach has a couple of choices to try to reverse his team's fortunes: stay with his starters and try to sort out the problems, or shake things up by going to the bench. Chico State volleyball Head Coach Cody Hein opted for the latter Saturday after seeing the Wildcats go down two sets to none to Cal State Monterey Bay, and his lineup juggling in the third set provided just the energy and spark needed for the 'Cats to win the final three sets and post an exciting come-from-behind 16-25, 17-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-9 win over the Otters at Acker Gym.
Saturday's victory—Chico State's third in a row and longest winning streak since the very start of the season—moved the Wildcats to 11-10 on the year and 5-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division. Cal State Monterey Bay dipped to 11-7 overall and 5-5 in the CCAA North.
Bekah Boyle led four Wildcats in delivering double-digit kills, hammering home 17 winners on the night. Olivia Mediano had 12 kills, with Kelley Jacome and Makaela Keeve registering 11 kills apiece. The setting tandem of Nicole Desrochers and McKenna Carroll combined for 55 assists, while Tristen Thompson paced the 'Cats with 27 digs.
Cal State Monterey Bay was clearly the aggressor early in the contest, jumping out to a 10-5 lead in the opening set and never trailing. Down 17-11, Chico State made a brief run to pull to within three—Keeve collected a kill, solo block and combo block with Mediano—but the Otters held the 'Cats at bay by scoring seven of the final eight points to roll to the 25-18 victory.
Three Keeve kills helped the Wildcats go up 8-6 early in the second set, but for the rest of the contest Chico State looked out of sync, as Monterey Bay's hitters pounded away to fuel a 15-5 run to put the Otters comfortably in front 21-13. The 'Cats could get no closer than seven the rest of the way, as Monterey Bay claimed the 25-17 win.
The Wildcats had a different look following intermission, as defensive specialist Letysha Cephas was inserted into the starting lineup and opposite hitter Claire Wilson was worked into the rotation. It didn't provide immediate results—the Otters jumped out to a 9-3 lead and threatened to make it a very short evening—but Chico State battled back, as service aces by Wright and Desrochers, and multiple kills by Boyle, Jacome, Keeve and Mediano fueled a 17-7 run to put the 'Cats in front 20-16. Monterey Bay pulled to within one, only to see the Wildcats answer with a Cephas ace and kills by Wright, Jacome and Mediano to take the set 25-22.
The Otters threatened to once again put the Wildcats away in the fourth set, building an 18-12 lead. But once again Chico State came off the mat, blitzing Monterey Bay with a 10-0 run—Mediano floored an ace, Wilson and Keeve teamed for a pair of combo blocks, and Wilson and Boyle combined for six kills—to put the 'Cats up 22-18. Two more kills by Boyle kept the pressure on the Otters, and though Monterey Bay survived one set point, a service error by Ala Olson gave Chico State the point it needed to wrap up the 25-22 victory.
Monterey Bay grabbed a 2-1 lead at the start of the fifth and deciding set, but from there it was pretty much all Wildcats. Kills by Mediano and Jacome helped snapped a 3-all tie to put Chico State in front 6-4, and the 'Cats slowly pulled away as Desrochers nailed another ace and Jacome, Keeve and Boyle blasted kills to extend the Wildcats' advantage to 13-8. The Otters would score one more point before Boyle delivered back-to-back kills, giving Chico State the 15-9 win and the exciting come-from-behind match victory.
Chico State wraps up its four-match home stand next Thursday night when Stanislaus State visits Acker Gym. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
