On paper, Friday's matchup between the Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona volleyball teams—each sporting 7-1 records going in—promised to be a tightly-contested affair. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it didn't turn out that way. The visiting Broncos dominated the evening and easily extended their winning streak to seven straight, spoiling the 'Cats 2018 home and conference opener with a 25-21, 25-20, 25-12 sweep at Acker Gym.
Friday's loss dropped Chico State to 7-2 on the season and 0-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division. Cal Poly Pomona improved to 8-1 overall and earned the Broncos a share of the CCAA South Division lead with a 1-0 conference record.
None of the Wildcats' hitters registered double-digit kills on the night. Bekah Boyle led Chico State with nine kills and nine digs, while Kennedy Rice and Kim Wright collected seven and six kills, respectively. Nicole Desrochers dished out 27 assists and delivered a pair of service aces for the 'Cats.
The match's opening set turned out to be the most entertaining of the three, but despite a pair of impressive runs, Chico State couldn't quite overcome Pomona's early 8-1 lead. The Wildcats did pull even thanks a 12-5 run—Boyle, Wright, Makaela Keeve and Kelley Jacome all delivering kills—to knot up the contest at 13-all. The Broncos immediately went back in front and never relinquished the lead. Trailing 20-16, a Pomona miscue and back-to-back aces by Desrochers moved the 'Cats to within one, but the Broncos tallied four of the final six points to come away with the 25-21 victory.
Chico State fell behind early in the second set and was forced to play catch-up the rest of the way. Already up 9-7, Pomona went on a 10-4 run to take command of the contest. Late kills by Wright, Boyle, and Keeve kept the Wildcats alive as Chico State crept to within four at 24-20, but a Desi Martin kill provided the winning point as the Broncos triumphed 25-20.
It was more of the same in what proved to be the night's final set. Pomona jumped in front early and then posted nine unanswered points to open up a huge 19-8 lead. The Wildcats could not recover, and though Rice and Wright came through with kills down the stretch, the Broncos held on to their double-digit lead, eventually winning 25-12 to complete the match sweep.
Chico State faces another tough challenge Saturday, as they host No. 9-ranked and defending NCAA West Region champion Cal State San Bernardino (8-1, 1-0 CCAA). First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. Live Stats and live streaming video is available via the Wildcat Athletics website.
