After playing seven of its last 10 matches at home, the Chico State volleyball team now prepares to hit the road for the final time this season, with four matches scheduled over the next two weekends. The Wildcats' first stop is this Friday in Southern California, where they'll take on Cal State San Marcos, followed by a trip to the Bay Area Saturday for a showdown against Cal State East Bay. Both matches are slated to begin at 3 p.m.
Fans can follow this weekend's action online with Live Stats and live streaming video on the CCAA Network, with links available on the Wildcat Athletics website home page and on the volleyball schedule page. Access to the live video stream requires a subscription fee that grants users access to every CCAA event on the network, home and away.
The Wildcats take to the road dedicated to finishing the 2022 campaign on a positive note. Despite plenty of spirited play this season, not a whole lot has gone right for the 'Cats, as they enter the weekend 3-16 overall and 1-11 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Chico State fell twice last weekend at Acker Gym, bowing to nationally-ranked Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona.
Zoe DiNardo continues to be Chico State's top offensive weapon. The junior outside hitter is eighth in the CCAA in kills (187) and kills per set (2.83), while ranking 10th in the conference in points per set (3.09). With six matches remaining, DiNardo needs 35 kills to set a personal single-season career high.
Brooke Ono is currently fourth among CCAA setters in assists (544) and third in assists per set (8.12). She enters the weekend needing just 42 assists to move past Alison Zamora and into fifth place on Chico State's all-time career assists list.
Lexi Carpenter is seventh in the CCAA with 227 digs on the season, and her 3.39 digs per set average ranks ninth among all conference players.
Cal State San Marcos, which hosts the Wildcats Friday, is 6-13 overall and is in eighth place in the CCAA with a 5-7 conference mark. The Cougars, who need a strong regular season finish to earn a berth in November's CCAA Tournament, have scuffled of late, losing five of their last six decisions. San Marcos split a pair of home matches last week, beating Cal State Monterey Bay Thursday before dropping a three-set decision Saturday to San Francisco State.
The Cougars' offense is led by junior outside hitter Trinity Barr, who ranks 10th in the CCAA with 184 kills. Sophomore outside Sophia Hedqvist has racked up 165 kills, while senior middle blocker Kiora Ridgeway has contributed 83 kills and a team-high 58 blocks on the season.
Earlier this season, San Marcos topped Chico State in three sets September 24 at Acker Gym. The Cougars have won the last five matchups with the Wildcats dating back to 2018, and lead the all-time series 7-3.
Cal State East Bay, which takes on the Wildcats following a Thursday tilt with Stanislaus State, is currently riding a four-match winning streak to raise its season record to 16-4 and move into a tie for third place in the CCAA standings with a 9-3 conference mark. The Pioneers won twice last week, sweeping San Francisco State on Thursday and downing Cal State Monterey Bay in four sets on Saturday.
East Bay boasts four players with over 100 kills on the year: sophomore opposite hitter Lexi Pagani (210 kills), sophomore middle blocker Mia Jordan (187), junior opposite Kara Green (177), and sophomore outside hitter Alexandria Gloria (125). Green has floored a team-high 32 aces, and has combined with Pagani, Jordan, and sophomore middle blocker Karis Carter for 172 blocks.
The Wildcats fell to the Pioneers in the first meeting of season, dropping a four-set decision in Chico back on September 23. Chico State holds a 36-16 advantage over East Bay in the all-time series between the two teams.
