The 2018 Chico State volleyball team heads into regular season play hungry, talented and fully planning to be in the thick of the race for the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division crown. The Wildcats also happen to be extremely young, but don't let the fact there isn't a single senior on the roster fool you—Head Coach Cody Hein's crew will settle for nothing less than a third straight trip to the postseason and a return to NCAA Championship Tournament play.
 
Chico State lifts the lid on the 2018 campaign Thursday when they travel to Turlock for the three-day NorCal Volleyball Classic, hosted by Stanislaus State. The Wildcats take on the University of Antelope Valley Thursday at 4:30 p.m., followed by matches Friday against Georgia College at 12:30 p.m. and Academy of Art at 5 p.m. The 'Cats conclude the season-opening tournament Saturday with an 8:30 a.m. clash versus Notre Dame de Namur.
 
All four Chico State matches will be played at Fitzpatrick Arena on the Stanislaus State campus. Wildcat fans unable to attend in person can follow the action online with Live Stats via the Wildcat Athletics website.
 
Chico State enters the new season following a 17-14 campaign in 2017 and a third place finish in the CCAA North Division. The Wildcats peaked in postseason play, roaring through the first two rounds of the CCAA Championship Tournament and nearly grabbing an NCAA Championship Tournament berth before bowing to eventual West Region champion Cal State San Bernardino in the conference tournament finals.
 
There is plenty of optimism in the 'Cats' camp on the eve of the 2018 campaign. In the just-released CCAA preseason coaches' poll, Chico State is picked to finish third in the North Division, and even garnered three first place votes. The Wildcats are a young assemblage, with eight new players joining the eight returners—but this is a team that is oozing with talent, and Hein is confident he has the talent to make this a memorable season.
 
The 'Cats feature a bevy of power-armed hitters, led by junior outside Bekah Boyle. The Redding product led the team with 314 kills a year ago, ranking among the conference leaders in several offensive categories to earn Second Team All-CCAA honors.
 
Junior Kim Wright and sophomore Makaela Keeve (a combined 360 kills and 186 blocks in 2017) are the Wildcats' top two middle hitters, while sophomore opposites Kelley Jacome (126 kills, 43 blocks as a freshman in 2017) and Claire Wilson will be counted on to make significant contributions.
 
Thanks to intensive recruiting, Hein bolstered the Wildcats' hitting corps with four talented freshmen: Lindsey Bryant (Durham High School), Kennedy Greenwood (Lincoln High School in Stockton), Kennedy Rice (Buchanan High School in Clovis) and Gretta Kirkby (Albany High School).
 
Setting up the Wildcats' hitters are junior returner Nicole Desrochers (563 assists and a team-high 34 service aces last season) and freshman Hailey Carter (Chaparral High School in Temecula).
 
Junior Brooke Fogel (career-high 362 digs and 23 aces in 2017) anchors the Wildcats' back line, but she'll have plenty of help with Greenwood, redshirt freshman Makenzie Salva, College of Southern Idaho junior transfer Esti Wilson, and freshmen Ali Collins (Northgate High School in Walnut Creek) and Lauren Voelker (Chaparral High School) helping lock down the team's passing and defensive efforts.
 
The Wildcats will be put to the test immediately, with several talented opponents awaiting them at the NorCal Volleyball Classic. Here are capsule descriptions of the teams Chico State will face in Turlock:
 
University of Antelope Valley / Lancaster, California (Thursday at 4:30 p.m.)

• The Pioneers are an NAIA team that plays in the California Pacific Conference (CPC).
• Antelope Valley began its 2018 season last week, and are 0-5 heading into their final match Wednesday at the La Sierra Invitational in Riverside.
• 2017: the Pioneers were 21-13 on the year and finished third in the CPC.
• Thursday will mark the first time Chico State and Antelope Valley has faced each other on the volleyball court.

 
Georgia College / Milledgeville, Georgia (Friday at 12:30 p.m.)

• The Bobcats, a Division II school, will be playing their first match of the season when they square off with the Wildcats Friday.
• 2017: Georgia College went 24-8 on the year, finishing third in the Peach Belt Conference and reaching the NCAA Championship Tournament Southeast Regional.
• This will be the first time the Bobcats and Wildcats have met in a match.

 
Academy of Art / San Francisco (Friday, 5 p.m.)

• The Urban Knights take on the Wildcats after beginning their 2018 season earlier in the day against Sonoma State.
• 2017: Academy of Art went 6-21 on the season, finishing in 13th place in the Pacific West Conference (PacWest) with a 3-17 conference record.
• Friday marks the first time the Wildcats and Urban Knights have met since 2016. Chico State leads the all-time series between the two teams 2-0.

 
Notre Dame de Namur / Belmont, California (Saturday, 8:30 a.m.)

• 2017: the Argonauts were 17-11 and finished fifth in the PacWest Conference with a 12-8 conference mark.
• Chico State has won all 16 meetings with Notre Dame de Namur dating back to 1988, though the Argonauts took the 'Cats to five sets last September at the Route 92 Showdown.