In the midst of a four-match road stretch, the Chico State volleyball team is faced with a pair of very important California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matches this weekend. The Wildcats look to rebound from back-to-back losses when they take on Humboldt State Friday in Arcata, followed by a Saturday showdown in Rohnert Park against Sonoma State. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Fans can follow the action online via Live Stats, accessible through the Wildcat Athletics website. Live streaming video will also be available for Friday's Humboldt State match.
Chico State, which began the week Tuesday with a three-set road loss to San Francisco State, enters the weekend 10-5 on the season and 3-4 in CCAA play. Despite two straight defeats and a sub-.500 conference record, the Wildcats are still very much in the mix in the CCAA North Division race, sitting just a half-game behind first place Sonoma State and tied with four other conference teams for second.
The Wildcats will need big contributions from their big hitters this weekend to get back into the win column. Bekah Boyle currently is second in the CCAA with 195 kills, and ranked sixth in kills per set (3.56). Kim Wright ranks among the conference top 10 in kills (155), is third in service aces (23), and seventh in hitting percentage (.331). Nicole Desrochers leads the CCAA in both aces (26) and aces per set (0.49).
Chico State as a team leads the CCAA in service aces (107), and is the conference leader is aces per set (1.98).
Humboldt State, the 'Cats' Friday night opponent, is still looking for its first conference victory. The Lumberjacks are 3-10 overall and occupies the CCAA North Division cellar with an 0-5 conference record. Humboldt, losers of eight of its last nine, fell in three sets to Sonoma State in their lone match last week.
The Lumberjacks are one of the top blocking teams in the CCAA, ranking second among the 13 conference teams with a 2.21 blocks per set average.
Chico State won both head-to-head matches with Humboldt State last season, and is 10-2 against the Lumberjacks dating back to 2012. Since 1985, the Wildcats hold a 41-12 lead in the all-time series with the 'Jacks.
Sonoma State, which takes on the Wildcats following a Friday home match against Stanislaus State, is 7-8 on the year but leads the CCAA North with a 3-3 conference mark. The Seawolves return home following a 1-3 road stretch; after beat Humboldt State last Friday, Sonoma was upended in five sets Saturday by Cal State Monterey Bay.
The Seawolves are led by junior outside hitter Tate Battistini (184 kills, 3.23 kills per set), freshman outside hitter Emily Eaton (120 kills) and sophomore middle blocker Adriana Baysinger (118 kills, .323 hitting percentage, 33 blocks).
Sonoma State triumphed in both matches with the Wildcats in 2017, and has topped Chico State in eight of the last nine meetings. The Seawolves hold a 42-28 lead in the all-time series between the two teams.
