Though the Chico State volleyball team experienced a rough start to the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) season last weekend, the Wildcats get the opportunity to jump right back on the horse and turn their conference fortunes around this week. The 'Cats take on Stanislaus State for a midweek clash Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Acker Gym, followed by a 5 p.m. road tilt Saturday in Seaside against the Otters of Cal State Monterey Bay.
Fans can follow the action of both matches on the Internet with Live Stats through the Wildcat Athletics website. Live streaming video is also available for Wednesday's Chico State-Stanislaus State contest.
Chico State enters the week 7-3 on the year, and 0-2 in the CCAA South Division. The Wildcats opened conference play last weekend with home losses to Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino.
The 'Cats are well represented among the conference's statistical leaders:
- Kim Wright is seventh in the CCAA in kills (103), eighth in hitting percentage (.358) and eighth in blocks (28).
- Bekah Boyle leads the Wildcats and is tied for fifth among conference hitters with 106 kills.
- Nicole Desrochers leads the CCAA in both service aces (19) and aces per set (0.58), and ranks sixth among conference setters with 9.79 assists per set.
- Makaela Keeve is ninth in the CCAA in blocks per set (0.86).
The Wildcats face a Stanislaus State team that is also looking to get back on the winning track. After a 7-0 start to the season, the Warriors have lost three consecutive matches, also falling victim to the Broncos and Coyotes last weekend.
Stanislaus State features a balanced offense led by outside hitter Sierra Adams. The junior ranks third in the CCAA in kills per set (4.05), while sophomore outsides Rachel Klopfer and Yisel Perez have combined for 135 kills on the season.
Chico State and Stanislaus State split their two regular season matches in 2017. The Wildcats have won 10 of the last 12 meetings dating back to 2012 and lead the all-time series with the Warriors 56-15.
Cal State Monterey Bay is 6-3 on the season and 1-1 in the CCAA North Division. The Otters opened up conference play last weekend with a sweep of Humboldt State before falling in four sets Saturday to Sonoma State.
As a team, the Otters rank fifth in the CCAA in kills per set (13.35) and are second in aces, averaging 2.0 per set.
Monterey Bay's top offensive player is senior outside hitter Anela Visesio, who ranks in the CCAA top 10 in both kills (98) and kills per set (3.16). Sophomore outside hitter Jenna Tobin and senior middle blocker Chandler McKean have racked up a combined 172 kills for the Otters, with McKean also contributing a team-high 33 blocks on the year.
Both teams scored a victory in last year's season series, with the Otters sweeping the Wildcats in Seaside. Since 2010, though, Chico State has won 12 of 14 meetings with Monterey Bay and leads the all-time series 24-4.
