ARCATA—Two hungry volleyball teams lined up on opposite sides of the net Saturday at Lumberjack Arena in Arcata, as both Chico State and Cal Poly Humboldt looked to put losing streaks in the rearview mirror and generate a spark as they approached the second half of the conference season. In what resulted in an extremely hard-fought match, it was the hometown Lumberjacks that prevailed in four sets, downing the Wildcats 25-21, 21-25, 22-25, 17-25.
Chico State dropped its fifth straight decision to fall to 3-12 on the season and 1-7 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal Poly Humboldt snapped a nine-match losing streak to improve to 2-9 overall and 1-7 in CCAA play.
Zoe DiNardo led the Wildcat offense with 13 kills on the night, while Bree Rodriguez added six kills and three blocks. Brooke Ono doled out 28 assists, collected 11 digs, and registered a pair of solo blocks. Gretta Kirkby racked up a team-high 13 digs for the 'Cats, with Lexi Carpenter and Jessie Camarillo contributing 12 digs apiece.
Cal Poly Humboldt broke out on top early in the first set, but with the score 3-1, Chico State reeled off an 11-3 run—DiNardo and Grace Shepherd delivering multiple kills—to jump on top 12-6. The Lumberjacks answered with a 7-1 run on their own, knotting things up at 13-all. The contest was still tied at 16-apiece when the Wildcats scored four straight points courtesy of a Kirkby ace, kills by DiNardo and Shepherd, and a Humboldt miscue to go up 20-16. The 'Jacks refused to fold, inching to within 20-19 before the 'Cats finally pulled away, using late kills by Shepherd, Rodriguez, and Lauryn Osendorf to post the 25-21 victory.
An early 6-1 Chico State run—highlighted by a DiNardo kill and a DiNardo/Shepherd combo block—gave the Wildcats a 6-4 lead at the beginning of the second set. Humboldt battled back, scoring 10 of the next 14 points to forge in front 14-10. The Lumberjacks extended their advantage to 19-14, but a Carpenter ace, a kill by Shepherd, and a Humboldt error helped the 'Cats creep to within two at 19-17. The 'Jacks managed to hold on, though, handing Chico State a 25-21 defeat and evening the match at one set apiece.
The Wildcats were forced to play catchup early in the third set, as Humboldt built an 8-4 lead. The 'Cats twice whittled the deficit to a deuce, but the Lumberjacks stubbornly held on to its advantage. Chico State trailed 18-13 when the Wildcats tallied three straight points—Rodriguez scoring a pair of solo blocks—to make it an 18-16 contest. A 6-2 Humboldt run put the 'Cats on the brink, and though Chico State survived four set points—Camarillo providing a pair of aces during the late charge—the 'Jacks scored the point they needed to secure the 25-22 win.
A Camarillo ace and kills by DiNardo and Brooklynn Anderson helped the Wildcats grab a 4-1 lead in the fourth set, only to see Humboldt respond with seven unanswered points to go up 8-4. Chico State whittled the deficit down to 11-10, but once again the Lumberjacks produced a rally-killing run, scoring seven of the next nine points to extend their lead to 18-12. An Ono ace and a kill by DiNardo tightened the score at 19-15, but that would be as close as the 'Cats would get, as Humboldt fashioned a 6-2 run down the stretch to take the set 25-17 and win the match.
Next week, Chico State engages in a home-and-home series with CCAA rival Stanislaus State. The Wildcats host the Warriors Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Acker Gym before traveling to Turlock for a 5 p.m. Friday showdown at Fitzpatrick Arena.
