ARCATA—After back-to-back sweeps at the hands of Cal State East Bay and San Francisco State, the Chico State volleyball team decided it was about time to be on the handle end of the broom. The Wildcats definitely took care of business Friday, needing the minimum amount of sets to sweep host Humboldt State 25-20, 25-22, 25-18 at Lumberjack Arena in Arcata.
Friday's win snapped Chico State's two-match mini-losing streak, and vaulted the Wildcats to 11-5 overall and into a first place tie in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 4-4 conference mark. Humboldt State, meanwhile, has now dropped six straight and nine of its last 10 to fall to 3-11 on the season and 0-6 in CCAA play.
Bekah Boyle, Kim Wright, and Kennedy Rice led the 'Cats Friday with 11 kills apiece. Boyle added nine digs and two blocks to her stat line, while Lindsey Bryant contributed four kills and three blocks to the Chico State attack. Nicole Desrochers dished out 32 assists, with Brooke Fogel adding 13 digs and four service aces on the night.
The Wildcats and Lumberjacks split the first 12 points of the opening set, but a Fogel ace and kills by Boyle and Bryant fueled a 6-2 Chico State run to put the 'Cats in front 12-8. Humboldt State cut the deficit in half, and with the score 16-14, the Wildcats reeled off six of the next seven points—highlighted by kills from Rice and Kelley Jacome, and a Boyle/Bryant combo block—to extend their advantage to 22-15. The 'Jacks made a late charge, but had too much ground to make up, and a kill by Wright provided the decider in Chico State's 25-20 victory.
Humboldt jumped out to a 5-1 lead to start the second set, only to see the 'Cats use kills by Rice, Wright, Boyle, and Desrochers to score eight of the next 11 points and go up 9-8. The Lumberjacks quickly tied things up, and it turned into a see-saw battle for the duration of the set. Humboldt built a 19-17 lead, but Chico State delivered the goods when it really counted—the 'Cats used a Fogel ace and kills by Wright and Rice, and combined with several Lumberjacks miscues, mounted an 8-3 run to win by a final of 25-22.
Another Fogel ace and multiple kills by Wright and Rice gave the Wildcats a 7-4 lead early in the third set. Humboldt quickly knotted up the contest, and with the score 9-9, Chico State pulled out to a sizeable lead—four kills by Boyle, two by Wright, single winners from Jacome and Bryant, and a Wright solo block spearheaded a big 12-3 run to put the 'Cats up comfortably 21-12. Humboldt made one last charge, pulling to within 22-18, but a Boyle kill, a Bryant/Jacome combo block and a Rice kill provided Chico State with the three points necessary to close out the set 25-18 and sweep the match.
Chico State travels to Rohnert Park Saturday for the third of their four-match road stretch. The Wildcats will take on Sonoma State (7-9, 3-4 CCAA) beginning at 7 p.m. in the Wolves' Den. Fans can follow the action online with Live Stats, available through the Wildcat Athletics website.
