On the heels of a home victory that could very well have saved its season, the Chico State volleyball team hits the road this weekend for a pair of matches that will figure prominently in the Wildcats' bid for a postseason berth. The 'Cats will be in Southern California Friday to take on No. 10 Cal State LA, followed by a Saturday showdown with Cal State Dominguez Hills. Both matches are scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m.
Fans can follow the action Friday and Saturday online with Live Stats and live streaming video, available through the Wildcat Athletics website.
Chico State enters the weekend 12-9 on the season, and occupying fifth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division with a 5-8 record, just a half-game behind fourth place San Francisco State. With five CCAA matches remaining in the regular season, the Wildcats need to leap over the Gators and keep sixth place Sonoma State at bay to secure one of the North Division's four CCAA Championship Tournament bids.
The 'Cats kept their postseason hopes alive Saturday with a come-from-behind, five-set victory over UC San Diego, snapping a four-match losing streak.
Though it faces a pair of tough opponents on its Southern California trek, Chico State has actually played better on the road this season than on its home court, winning nine of 13 decisions away from Acker Gym.
The 'Cats will need to bring their "A" game to Friday night's match against Cal State LA. The Golden Eagles have been ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national top 25 poll for most of the season, reaching the top 10 thanks to wins last week over Sonoma State and Humboldt State. Overall, Cal State LA sports an 18-1 mark and sits in second place in the CCAA North Division with a 10-1 conference record.
Cal State LA has won five straight since dropping its lone decision of the year to No. 5 Cal State San Bernardino in late September. The Golden Eagles are 3-1 this season on their home floor, University Gym.
Friday's contest will feature two of the CCAA's top outside hitters. Chico State's Bekah Boyle ranks third in the conference in kills (271) and eighth in kills per set (3.35), while Cal State LA sophomore outside Karla Santos is third in kills per set (3.90) and fourth in kills (265).
Since 1985, the Golden Eagles have won 35 of 47 matches with the Wildcats. The last time the two teams met, though, Chico State swept Cal State LA out of the 2017 CCAA Championship Tournament November 17 in San Francisco.
Cal State Dominguez, which hosts the 'Cats Saturday following a Friday night matchup with Stanislaus State, is 7-12 overall and in sixth place in the CCAA North with a 2-9 conference mark. The Toros turned their fortunes around last weekend, snapping a seven-match losing streak with road victories over Humboldt State and Sonoma State.
Dominguez Hills is 1-4 so far this season at the Torodome in Carson.
Junior outside hitter Tati Yandall leads the Toros' offensive attack with 246 kills on the year. Senior middle blocker Esther Duru and freshman outside Rylee Brown have combined for an additional 280 kills.
Chico State has won the last six meetings with Dominguez Hills dating back to 2014, and leads the all-time series 36-9.
