ARCATA—What first appeared to be a one-sided match turned into a nail-biting roller coaster ride Friday for the Chico State volleyball team. The Wildcats quickly won the first two sets against host Humboldt State, only to see the Lumberjacks knot up the contest by taking sets three and four. The 'Cats were able to right the ship in the nick of time, dominating the fifth and deciding set to down the 'Jacks 25-19, 25-21, 16-25, 17-25, 15-4 and snap a four-match losing streak at Lumberjack Arena in Arcata.
The win—Chico State's first in nearly three weeks—moved the Wildcats to 11-10 on the season and into sole possession of third place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division with a 7-6 conference record. Humboldt State dropped its 11th straight decision to slip to 5-14 overall and 1-11 in CCAA play.
Chico State rolled out a very balanced offense Friday, with five players registering double-digit kills. Kim Wright and Grace Shepherd racked up 14 kills apiece, with Wright also posting six blocks. Kelley Jacome collected a season-high 12 kills to go along with seven blocks; Makaela Keeve contributed 10 kills and six blocks, and Bekah Boyle chimed in with 10 kills and a pair of blocks. Brooke Ono dished out 48 assists and added 17 digs on the evening, while Gretta Kirkby came through with three huge service aces in the fifth and deciding set. Brooke Fogel led all players with 23 digs.
The Wildcats spotted Humboldt State the first three points of Friday's opening set, then used a Mikeila Banda ace, a solo block by Keeve, and kills by Jacome, Boyle, Wright, Keeve, and Shepherd to put together an 18-10 run and establish a five-point lead. The Lumberjacks responded with five unanswered points to tie the set at 18-all, but Chico State finished strong, as Jacome swatted two kills, teamed with Wright on a pair of blocks, and added another combo block with Keeve to lead a 7-1 run down the stretch and give the 'Cats the 25-19 victory.
Chico State went up 9-4 early in the second set on the strength of three Boyle kills and single winners by Jacome, Ono, Shepherd, and Keeve. Humboldt State again came off the deck to tie the score at 15-apiece, but the Wildcats scored four straight to go back in front. Though the Lumberjacks whittled the deficit to two, the 'Cats would not relinquish the lead, and a Boyle kill provided Chico State with its final point to nail down the 25-21 win.
Humboldt State came out of intermission with a full head of steam, and stormed back into the match by grabbing a quick 6-1 lead in the third set. Kills by Wright and Shepherd brought the Wildcats to within 8-5, only to see the Lumberjacks reel off a 14-6 run to extend its advantage to 22-11. The 'Cats made some noise late, with kills by Keeve, Shepherd, and Jacome, but it wasn't nearly enough as Humboldt rolled to the 25-16 victory.
It was more of the same in the fourth set, as Humboldt State led wire-to-wire, and used a 9-2 run to build a hefty 17-10 margin. Chico State briefly made it a contest, coming out of a timeout to rip off a 7-1 run—Keeve leading the way with two kills, a solo block, and a combo block with Jacome—to make the score 18-17. That turned out to be all the 'Cats would be able to muster, however, as the Lumberjacks tallied the final seven points of the set to win 25-17 and set up a fifth set.
Things didn't start well for the Wildcats in the decider, with Humboldt going up early 2-1. Whether planned or not, Chico State saved its best for last, exploding for a 13-0 run to take complete control of the contest. Kirkby delivered three big aces during the stretch and Shepherd bombed four kills—three in succession—to give the 'Cats a lopsided 14-2 lead. Humboldt State was able to survive two match points, but any thoughts of an epic Lumberjacks comeback were dashed when Wright delivered the final exclamation point—her thundering kill off a picture-perfect set by Ono propelled the Wildcats to the 15-4 win and the match victory.
The Wildcats wrap up the week's action in Rohnert Park with a Saturday showdown against the Seawolves of Sonoma State. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
