ROHNERT PARK—Following a 1-3 home stand, the Chico State volleyball team was anxious to hit the road this week, hoping to reverse its recent fortunes by getting back in the win column on the opponent's home floor. Sonoma State, the Wildcats' Thursday night hosts, never gave Chico State the opportunity to get untracked, jumping out to large leads in all three sets on the way to sweeping the 'Cats 25-16, 25-19, 25-14 at the Wolves' Den in Rohnert Park.
Chico State dropped its fourth straight decision to slip to 3-11 on the season and 1-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Sonoma State won its second match in a row to improve to 10-5 overall and 3-4 in CCAA play.
Lauryn Osendorf led the Wildcats with five kills, while Zoe DiNardo contributed four kills and three blocks. Brooke Ono dished out 18 assists and floored a pair of service aces for the 'Cats, with Lexi Carpenter and Gretta Kirkby combining for 20 digs on the day.
The first set was close early on, with Sonoma State withstanding an Ono solo block and kills by DiNardo and Bree Rodriguez to forge a slim 6-4 lead. The Seawolves then proceeded to go on a 7-1 run to up their advantage to 13-5. A Taylor Whyte ace and a DiNardo kill brought the Wildcats to within 14-8, but Sonoma ran off five unanswered points to push its lead to double digits. The 'Cats continued to battle, using a Kirkby ace, a Rodriguez/DiNardo combo block and four Seawolves miscues to cut the deficit to 21-14, only to see Sonoma tally four of the final six points to win the set going away 25-16.
The Seawolves rolled out to a 10-5 lead in the second set, but the Wildcats answered with a 7-2 run—Ono delivered a pair of aces, Osendorf hammered home two kills, and Nariah Prescott produced a winner, plus Rodriguez and DiNardo combined on a point-scoring block—to knot up the contest at 12-all. The set was still tied 15-15 when Sonoma State took control with a 5-1 run, and despite late kills by Osendorf and Grace Shepherd to make it a 22-19 contest, the Seawolves scored three straight down the stretch to register the 25-19 victory.
Sonoma raced out to a 5-1 lead in the third set, but Chico State scored five in a row—Carpenter posted an ace, while Shepherd and Jane Mcnulty came through with kills—to put the Wildcats in front 6-5. The Seawolves retook the lead and were up 13-9 when the 'Cats came out of a timeout with three consecutive kills—two by DiNardo and one by Mcnulty—to pull to within a point at 13-12. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, that would prove to be their last hurrah, as Sonoma ripped off a 12-2 run to bring an end to the proceedings, handing Chico State a 25-14 defeat and completing the match sweep of the 'Cats.
Chico State wraps up its mini-road trip Saturday in Arcata, where the Wildcats will take on the Lumberjacks of Cal Poly Humboldt. 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.
