The first two sets of Saturday's Chico State-San Francisco State volleyball match were intense, knock-down, back-and-forth affairs that both went past the 25 points needed to determine the winner. The third set was a far different story. At the end of the night, all three contests went the Gators' way Saturday at Acker Gym, as the Wildcats came out on the short end of a 26-24, 27-25, 25-14 final.
Chico State was hoping the momentum from Friday's thrilling five-set home-opening victory Friday against Cal Sate Monterey Bay would carry over to Saturday's match with the Gators. Instead, the 'Cats slipped to 3-8 overall and 1-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). San Francisco State improved to 5-6 on the year and 1-3 in CCAA play.
Zoe DiNardo and Grace Shepherd anchored the Wildcats' offense Saturday, with DiNardo delivering 14 kills and Shepherd a baker's dozen. Brooke Ono doled out 32 assists while adding two blocks and a team-high 12 digs. Defensively, Bree Rodriguez and Lauryn Osendorf each racked up three blocks, and Jessie Camarillo posted double-digit digs with 10.
Saturday's tightly-played opening set saw nine tie scores and three lead changes. San Francisco State rolled out to a 9-4 lead, but following a Chico State timeout, the Wildcats put together a 7-2 run—Shepherd and Nariah Prescott both tallying a pair of kills—to knot up the contest at 11-all. The Gators went back in front 17-14, but the 'Cats evened things up again thanks to kills by DiNardo and Osendorf. San Francisco State was able to grab a 24-23 lead, but the Wildcats survived set point on an Ono/Rodriguez combo block. The Gators responded with back-to-back kills to finally win the hotly-contested set 26-24.
It was more of the same in set number two. The 'Cats snapped a 7-7 tie with six unanswered points; three coming on kills by DiNardo and one by Rodriguez. Chico State maintained its lead into the set's late stages, but San Francisco State managed to hang around. The Gators survived two set points to tie the score at 24-apiece, then scored again to put the Wildcats back on their heels. A kill by Shepherd momentarily kept the 'Cats alive, but once again San Francisco answered with consecutive kills that proved to be the difference in the Gators' 27-25 victory.
The opportunity to come back from two sets down for the second straight night did not materialize for the 'Cats, as San Francisco State jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the third set. The Gators never trailed, though Chico State managed to whittle the deficit to four on the strength of three Shepherd kills and single winners by Rodriguez and DiNardo. With the score 15-11, San Francisco State officially took all the drama out of the proceedings, going on a 9-2 run to extend its advantage to 24-13. The 'Cats survived one set point, but the Gators scored on the next possession to secure the 25-14 victory and the match sweep.
Chico State is back at home next weekend for a pair of CCAA conference clashes. Friday the Wildcats tangle with Cal State East Bay at 5 p.m., then host Cal State San Marcos Saturday for a 2 p.m. match.
