ROCKLIN—The start of the 2022 season was not exactly how the Chico State volleyball team had envisioned it. The Wildcats played their first two matches of the campaign Thursday as part of the William Jessup Invitational, and despite some encouraging stretches, the 'Cats were unable to put a hashmark in the win column. Chico State fell to Southern Oregon in three sets (19-25, 20-25, 19-25) before dropping the day's final tilt against host school William Jessup in four sets (19-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-27) in action at Warrior Arena in Rocklin.
Grace Shephard led the Chico State offense with a combined 22 kills on the day, with Zoe DiNardo and Bree Rodriguez adding 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Lauryn Osendorf, Lexi Carpenter, and Brooke Ono each delivered three service aces, with Ono also racking up 51 assists and 21 digs over the two matches. Carpenter collected a team-high 27 digs, while Osendorf led the Wildcats with six blocks.
Chico State officially kicked off the 2022 campaign against Southern Oregon, a school the Wildcats had not played since way back in the 2000 season. The Wildcats got the first set off to a rousing start, with three Shepherd kills and one by Rodriguez staking the 'Cats to a 4-0 lead. The Raiders posted the next six points to go out in front, but Chico State's subsequent 12-8 run—fueled by a Jessie Camarillo ace, a DiNardo/Rodriguez combo block, and kills by Shepherd, Rodriguez, DiNardo, and Nariah Prescott—put the Wildcats back on top 16-14. Southern Oregon came up big in the late stages, however, answering with an 11-3 run down the stretch to win the set 25-19.
The second set was almost a carbon copy of the first. Ono produced an ace and a kill, and two Shepherd scores put the Wildcats up early 4-1. Southern Oregon roared out in front 8-6, only to see the 'Cats tie things up at 11-all on the strength of kills by Ono, DiNardo, and Osendorf. The two teams traded the next 11 points, and with Chico State on top 17-16, the Raiders stopped the Wildcats in their tracks by mounting another late run. Southern Oregon went back in front, and though kills by Shepherd and Rodriguez pulled the 'Cats to within 20-19, the Raiders tallied five of the last six points to win the set going away by a final of 25-20.
Southern Oregon jumped out in front early in the third set, but Chico State stormed back to grab an 8-7 lead—Nya Prescott combined with Osendorf and Rodriguez for a pair of blocks, Osendorf delivered an ace, and Shepherd and DiNardo racked up kills to put the Wildcats on top. Again, the Raiders answered, going on a 12-4 run to take command 19-12. The 'Cats, now with their backs to the wall, battled—Chico State took advantage of three Southern Oregon miscues, while Osendorf and Nya Prescott each posted a kill and a block to creep to within 22-19. The Raiders quashed the Wildcat comeback attempt, though, scoring the final three points to win the set 25-19 and sweep the match.
Chico State finished the day's action against William Jessup, and the 'Cats found themselves having trouble getting untracked in the opening set. Though taking a 2-0 lead on a Kate Beezer ace and a Warriors error, the Wildcats surrendered 14 of the next 20 points to trail 14-8. Another Beezer ace and a kill by DiNardo brought Chico State back to within four, but William Jessup responded with a 7-1 run to push its advantage to 19-11. The 'Cats made a small run late, with Ono landing an ace and Shepherd and Osendorf flooring kills to make the score 23-18, but it was too little and too late as the Warriors went on to win 25-19.
William Jessup led throughout most of the second set, but they could never pull away from the feisty Wildcats. With the score 13-8, Chico State combined a Shepherd kill, aces by Osendorf and Carpenter, and combo blocks by Osendorf/Ono and Osendorf/Nariah Prescott to fuel a 10-5 run and tie the score at 18-apiece. The Warriors recovered to score seven of the set's final 10 points, breaking a 19-all tie with a 6-2 run to prevail 25-21.
Several long scoring runs by both teams highlighted the third set. Chico State, trying to avoid a second match sweep, jumped out to an 11-5 lead thanks to an Osendorf ace and kills by Shepherd, DiNardo, and Nariah Prescott. William Jessup then tallied seven unanswered points to go up 12-11, but the never-say-die 'Cats used aces by Ono and Carpenter plus kills by DiNardo, Shepherd, and Nariah Prescott to forge an 8-2 run and re-take the lead at 19-14. The Warriors promptly scored five straight to knot up the contest at 19-all, but this time the 'Cats would not buckle late—two kills by Nariah Prescott and three William Jessup miscues set Chico State up for the win, and DiNardo ripped the deciding kill that give the Wildcats the 25-23 victory.
Set number four was a tightly-played affair that saw both team squandering leads. Chico State went up early 3-2, but William Jessup used an 11-6 run to grab a four-point advantage at 13-9. Three kills by Shepherd, one each by DiNardo and Nariah Prescott, and an Ono/Rodriguez combo block helped the 'Cats tie things up at 18-all, and the set was still even at 23 when a Nariah Prescott kill brought Chico State to within one point of forcing a fifth and deciding set. It was not to be, however—the Warriors scored two straight points to take the lead 25-24, and after a kill by DiNardo briefly kept the Wildcats alive, back-to-back kills by William Jessup provided the Warriors with the points necessary to outlast Chico State 27-25 and win the match.
The Wildcats play one more match as part of the William Jessup Invitational when they take on Simpson University Friday at 11 a.m. Fans can follow the action online with live streaming video; the link is available at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section of the website's homepage, and on the Chico State volleyball schedule page.
