SEASIDE – The Chico State volleyball team took the first two sets but couldn't close out the match as Cal State Monterey Bay rallied to take the CCAA contest (25-15, 25-22, 23-25, 18-25, 11-15) Friday evening.
 
The Wildcats fall to 4-7 overall and 1-6 in conference play. The Otters, meanwhile, improve to 6-8 overall and 3-4 in the CCAA.
 
Cassidy Herbert led the effort in the front with 15 kills, Zoe DiNardo, Lauryn Osendorf and Taylor Whyte each had 11. Brooke Ono had 43 assists and 19 digs for a double-double. DiNardo (17 digs) and Whyte (15) also had double-double performances as well.
 
Lexi Carpenter led the defensive effort with 20 stops on the attack.
 
The first set was an impressive one for the Wildcats, for they hit 31 percent on the attack, making 13 kills while keeping the remaining attempts inside the lines. Chico State won the first four serves and maintained the lead the rest of the way.
 
Monterey Bay had a 12-10 lead to start the second set until Chico State went on a 7-2 run to retake the lead. The Wildcats had to protect at least a three-point lead the rest of the game.
 
Chico State had a four-point lead midway through into the third game until the Otters had a 9-3 momentum to move back into the front.
 
Both teams were kept to within one point from each other until the Otters won six straight rallies to take a 19-14 lead and eventually led to the deciding set.
 
In the deciding set, the two sides were tied at nine points apiece when the Otters won six of the next eight rallies to complete the come-from-behind win.
 
Now past the halfway point of a five-match road swing, the Wildcats head to Hayward to play Cal State East Bay Saturday at 5 p.m. The Pioneers had swept Stanislaus State tonight.