The Chico State volleyball team was teetering on dropping its fifth straight decision Saturday, but on a night when breast cancer awareness was spotlighted through the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) Dig for a Cure campaign, the Wildcats turned their fortunes around in dramatic fashion. The 'Cats juggled the lineup midway through the contest, providing the spark the team needed to dig deep and post a come-from-behind, five-set victory (25-16, 19-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12) over UC San Diego at Acker Gym.
The much-needed win—Chico State's first victory in October—raised the Wildcats' season record to 12-9. More importantly, in the race for one of the four CCAA Championship Tournament North Division berths, the win moved the 'Cats to 5-8 in conference play and into fifth place in the North, just one-half game behind fourth place San Francisco State.
UC San Diego lost for the seventh time in its last nine decisions to fall to 7-11 overall and 3-9 in the CCAA South Division.
Bekah Boyle led the Chico State offense with 15 kills on the night, with Kennedy Rice scoring a dozen winners to go along with three blocks. Makaela Keeve added 11 kills and seven blocks, while Kim Wright posted 11 kills, 13 digs, four blocks and three service aces. Setters Nicole Desrochers and Hailey Carter combined for 50 assists on the evening, and Brooke Fogel led the Wildcats with 23 digs.
Chico State dominated UC San Diego in the opening set, using a pair of Rice aces and kills by Rice, Boyle, Wright and Kennedy Greenwood to blast out of the gates with a 9-2 lead. The Tritons closed to within 10-5, but the Wildcats answered with a 10-5 run—powered by kills from Keeve, Boyle, Rice, Wright and Kelley Jacome—to extend their advantage to 20-10. Keeve tallied the final point of the set, hammering a kill that gave the 'Cats a 25-16 victory.
The second set was a tightly-played affair, with the two teams splitting the first 20 points. A kill by Wright briefly put the Wildcats in front 11-10, but a 10-5 UC San Diego run put the Tritons on top 20-16. The 'Cats pulled to within three, but despite late kills by Jacome, Wright and Rice, the Tritons rolled to a 25-19 win to even the match.
Though the final score of the third set doesn't indicate it, UC San Diego pretty much controlled the contest and posted a 25-22 victory. Before the set was over, Carter entered the match at setter for Chico State—and that lineup change seemed to revitalize the sluggish Wildcats.
Now down two sets to one, the 'Cats clawed back to win the fourth set—although early on, it looked like the Tritons would cruise to the victory. UC San Diego used an 8-0 run to erase a six-point deficit and grab a 16-14 lead. Chico State refused to fold, and with the help of a Boyle kill, an ace by Wright, and a Keeve/Claire Wilson combo block, the Wildcats scored seven of the next 10 points to go up 21-19. The Tritons would knot up the contest at 21-all, but the 'Cats came up big down the stretch—two kills by Keeve, a Fogel ace, and a Keeve/Rice combo block powered Chico State to the 25-22 win, setting up the fifth and deciding set.
Things didn't start out well for the Wildcats, as UC San Diego grabbed a quick 4-1 lead. The Tritons were still up 7-4 when Chico State took control of the decider—Carter delivered a kill followed by an ace, Keeve registered a solo block, Wilson crushed a kill and Keeve and Rice combined on a block that highlighted a 9-2 run to put the Wildcats on top 13-9. UC San Diego twice cut the deficit to two, but Carter-fed kills by Keeve and Wright sealed the deal, giving Chico State the 15-12 win and the match victory.
Chico State hits the road next weekend, traveling to Southern California to take on Cal State LA Friday and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday. First serve for both matches is set for 7 p.m.
