SEASIDE—The Chico State volleyball team started out strong in its Friday night matchup with Cal State Monterey Bay, winning the first two sets and thinking seriously about a match sweep. But later in the evening, the Wildcats found themselves on the brink of defeat as the host Otters grabbed the next two sets and were one point away from stealing the match. The 'Cats avoided the unthinkable by rallying late in the fifth set to post a hard-fought 25-17, 25-23, 21-25, 21-25, 16-14 win at The Kelp Bed in Seaside.
 
Friday's victory snapped a brief two-match losing streak and improved Chico State's record to 7-12 on the season and 3-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal State Monterey slipped to 7-8 overall and 1-10 in conference play.
 
Lizzie Wilson was one of several Wildcat standouts Friday, delivering four blocks and a season-high 19 kills, including six in the pivotal fifth set. Makaela Keeve blasted 16 winners to go along with six blocks, 11 digs, and two service aces. Kelley Jacome nailed 15 kills, with Zoe DiNardo adding 11 kills and two blocks to the 'Cats' attack.
 
Brooke Ono tied her season high with 51 assists, while also contributing 13 digs. Ali Collins racked up 10 digs and an ace, with Kennedy Greenwood recording three aces, eight assists, and leading all players with 19 digs on the night.   
 
Cal State Monterey Bay ripped off five of the first six points in the evening's opening set, but a 9-2 Chico State run—highlighted by a Greenwood ace, a Wilson/Lauryn Osendorf combo block, and kills by Wilson, Keeve, and Ono—put the Wildcats in front 10-7. Though the 'Cats would lead for the remainder of the set, the Otters crept to within 18-14 before Chico State racked up five unanswered points—Keeve delivering an ace, Wilson and Osendorf combining on another block, and Keeve and Wilson each flooring a kill to extend the Wildcats' advantage to 23-14. A kill by Ono and a solo block by Keeve provided the 'Cats with the final points necessary to lock down the 25-17 win.
 
In the second set, Monterey Bay jumped out to another early lead, and while the Wildcats hung around and chipped away at the deficit, the Otters stayed on top and were ahead 20-16 before Chico State unleashed a set-deciding 9-3 run—fueled by a Keeve solo block and kills by Keeve, Jacome, Wilson, and DiNardo—to complete an impressive come-from-behind 25-23 victory.
 
The Wildcats bolted out to a quick 4-1 lead in the third set, but the Otters knotted up the score at 6-all and eventually went up 12-9. The 'Cats tied things up at 12-apiece, then the two team traded points and leads until a Kelley Jacome kill put Chico State on top 19-18. This time, though, it was Monterey Bay's turn to play the come-from-behind game, ending the set on a 7-2 run to win going away 25-21.
 
The fourth set was a tightly played affair all the way through. The Otters went out in front 5-2, but back-to-back aces by Ono and kills by Keeve, Wilson, and Jacome pulled the Wildcats even at 7-apiece. With the score tied at 10-all, Monterey Bay went on a 6-2 run to seemingly take control of the contest, only to see the 'Cats claw back with an ace by Collins and kills by Wilson, Jacome, and DiNardo to knot up the proceeding at 18-18. The Otters immediately went back in front and would not relinquish the lead, scoring seven of the final 10 points to win 25-21, forcing a fifth and deciding set.
 
Head Coach Tommy Gott regrouped the troops, and the Wildcats used kills by Wilson, Keeve and DiNardo to race out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth set. Monterey Bay came back to tie things up at 10-all, then after a Keeve kill briefly put Chico State back on top, the Otters scored four of the next six points to grab a 14-13 advantage. Facing match point, the 'Cats galvanized when they needed to most—Osendorf tied the score with her lone kill of the night, followed up by kills by Jacome and Wilson. The three-point run snatched victory out the jaws of defeat, giving Chico State the 16-14 win and the match.
 
The Wildcats will be in the Bay Area Saturday, taking on the Gators of San Francisco State (15-3, 8-3 CCAA). First serve is slated for 7 p.m. Fans can follow the action on the Internet with live streaming video and Live Stats. The online links are posted on the Chico State volleyball schedule page and home page calendar on the Wildcat Athletics website, at chicowildcats.com.