On a night dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness, the Chico State volleyball team hoped its "Dig Pink" promotion would provide the kind of morally responsible spark that would help beat visiting Stanislaus State Wednesday at Acker Gym. The match started well for the Wildcats, but after winning the first set, they dropped the next three to the Warriors to finish the night on the short end of a 25-23, 12-25, 23-25, 19-25 final.
Chico State suffered its sixth straight setback to fall to 3-13 on the season and 1-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Stanislaus State improved to 13-5 overall and 5-4 in CCAA play with Wednesday's victory.
Zoe DiNardo and Grace Shepherd topped the Wildcat offense with 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Bree Rodriguez added nine kills and two blocks to the 'Cats' attack, while Taylor Whyte contributed three service aces. Brooke Ono dished out 37 assists and posted 10 digs, with Jessie Camarillo, Lexi Carpenter, and Gretta Kirkby combining for another 30 digs on the evening.
The 'Cats jumped on top quickly in the opening set, racing out to a 9-4 lead courtesy of a Kirkby ace, a Rodriguez solo block, and kills by DiNardo, Rodriguez, and Brooklynn Anderson. Stanislaus State crept to within three at 12-9, but a 5-1 Chico State run—fueled by kills from DiNardo, Shepherd, and Whyte—upped the Wildcats advantage to 17-10. The 'Cats were still leading 20-14 when the Warriors got hot, putting together an 8-2 run to knot up the contest at 22-all. Chico State refused to fold, however, as Lauryn Osendorf delivered a clutch ace and kill down the stretch, and a kill by Rodriguez sealed the deal to give the Wildcats a 25-23 win.
The second set saw Stanislaus State grab an early 4-1 lead, but kills by Kirkby, Rodriguez, and Anderson helped Chico State tie the contest at seven apiece. From there, however, it was all Warriors, who proceeded to go on a 14-2 run to make the score 21-9. Kills by DiNardo and Rodriguez proved far too little and far too late for the 'Cats, as Stanislaus cruised to the match-evening 25-12 victory.
The Warriors built an 11-6 lead in the third set, only to see the Wildcats answer by scoring nine of the next 13 points to even things up at 15-all—Shepherd set the tone with three straight kills, followed by a Whyte ace and kills by Rodriguez, DiNardo, and Anderson. Stanislaus pulled back in front and this time was able to keep the 'Cats at bay. Chico State pulled to within a point three times late in the contest, but after surviving one set point to stay alive, a kill by Warriors' outside hitter Makenna Carrillo delivered the decisive kill that gave Stanislaus a 25-23 win.
The Warriors led from start to finish in the fourth set, and appeared they would easily roll to the match victory, using a 16-5 run to go up 21-9. But rather than throw in the towel and concede defeat, the Wildcats continued to battle—an ace by Ono and multiple kills by DiNardo and Osendorf highlighted a 10-3 Chico State run that pulled the 'Cats to within 24-19. The Wildcats' furious rally ran out of time, though, as Stanislaus finally scored the one point needed to cement the 25-19 victory and the match win.
Chico State and Stanislaus State go head-to-head again Friday, with the Warriors hosting the Wildcats at Fitzpatrick Arena in Turlock. First serve is slated for 5 p.m. Fans can follow the 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 home page. Accessing the live video stream requires a monthly subscription fee.
