What started out as an exciting night for the Chico State volleyball team slowly turned to disappointment Friday against Sonoma State in a battle for first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division. The Wildcats grabbed an early advantage in the match with a strong first set victory, only to see the visiting Seawolves take the next three sets to down Chico State 26-24, 21-25, 11-25, 22-25 at Acker Gym.
The 'Cats dipped to 8-6 on the season and into a second place tie with Stanislaus State in the CCAA North with a 4-2 conference record. Sonoma State won its fourth straight decision to improve to 12-3 overall and grab the top spot in the division with a 4-1 conference mark.
Grace Shepherd was the lone Wildcat to post double-digit kills, flooring 11 winners on the night. Kelley Jacome contributed nine kills and four blocks, with Gretta Kirkby adding nine kills to the 'Cats' attack. Makaela Keeve delivered eight kills and four blocks, while Kim Wright chipped in with eight kills. Brooke Ono dished out 38 assists and led Chico State with 11 digs; Esti Wilson and Mikeila Banda each came through with three service aces in the losing effort.
Chico State came out aggressive in the opening set, and never trailed in the contest. A Wilson ace plus kills by Jacome and Shepherd staked the Wildcats to a 7-4 lead, and after Sonoma State came back to tie the score at 9-all, Chico State used a 7-3 run—featuring a Banda ace and kills by Wright, Ono, and Keeve—to go back in front 16-12. The 'Cats were still holding on to a four-point advantage when the Seawolves rallied late to pull to within one. Following a Sonoma service error, the Seawolves survived two set points to knot things up at 24-24. Chico State refused to let the set get away, and back-to-back kills by Ono and Keeve turned out to be the difference in the Wildcats' 26-24 victory.
The 'Cats carried the momentum into the second set, grabbing a 10-5 lead on the strength of a Brooke Fogel ace and kills by Kirkby, Shepherd, and Jacome. A 12-6 Sonoma run put the Seawolves briefly on top 17-16, but the 'Cats were able to wrestle the lead back thanks to kills by Keeve and Jacome. Chico State held a slim 20-19 advantage when Sonoma State flexed its collective muscle and tallied six of the final seven points to post the 25-21 victory, evening the match at one win apiece.
It was all Seawolves in the pivotal third set, as Sonoma roared out to an 11-3 lead and never looked back. Kills by Keeve and Jacome and a combo block by the Wildcat duo kept Chico State alive, but the 'Cats steadily lost ground in the late stages of the set. The Seawolves outscored Chico State 10-3 down the stretch to cruise to a 25-11 victory.
Chico State still had some fight left, and thanks to kills by Wright and Jacome, forged a 7-6 lead early in the fourth set. The advantage didn't last long—Sonoma State answered with an 11-5 run to go up 17-12. The Seawolves maintained their five-point cushion, but with the score 23-18 the Wildcats mounted one last rally, as a Kirkby/Keeve combo block, a kill by Wright and an ace by Banda pulled Chico State to within two at 23-21. Sonoma bookended a Wright kill with kills by Tate Battistini to officially seal the deal, as the Seawolves put the finishing touches on the 25-22 victory and the match win.
The Wildcats wrap up their three-match home stand Saturday against Humboldt State. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Acker Gym.
