CHICO – The Chico State volleyball team won the first two games, Cal Poly Humboldt answered back and claimed the next two rounds, and the Wildcats held off the Lumberjacks' late rally attempt in the deciding set to take the match 3-2 (29-27, 25-22, 24-26, 22-26, 15-12) at Acker Gym Saturday evening.
 
The win puts the Wildcats back on the win column and improve to 4-4 overall and 1-3 in the CCAA. The Lumberjacks, meanwhile, drop to 4-8 overall and 1-3 in the CCAA.

Three Wildcats ended up achieving career marks in the kills department. Zoe DiNardo matched her personal mark of 20 which she set earlier in the season, Gwyneth Wentzel recorded 13 to best her previous mark of nine achieved two matches prior, and Cassidy Herbert got into double digits for the first time in her career, making 10 kills. Taylor Whyte had 11 kills but missed her career mark by one.
 
Lexi Carpenter had one of the best defensive performances on the season, collecting 21 digs. It was her first 20-dig match since her career-day of 29 in the season opener. Jessie Camarillo came up just one dig short of matching her career-high of 19.
 
Brooke Ono had a busy night as well as she was credited with 52 assists, making it the first time she reached the half-century mark in sets this season.
 
The Wildcats couldn't quite stop the Lumberjacks' Awelina Fakalata, who made a whopping 29 kills.
 
Chico State found itself in an 22-15 hole to start the match but the Wildcats rallied to tie the opening game at 22. The Wildcats and Lumberjacks had to make extra serves until DiNardo and Herbert got back-to-back kills to take the first round.
 
The second set was a tight battle. Cal Poly Humboldt had a 22-10 lead until Chico State won five straight rallies to take the second game and build a 2-0 match lead.
 
After a five-point run gave Chico State a 22-20 lead late in the third set, Fakalata led the way making four kills in a Lumberjack 6-2 run to take the set.
 
Both sides each had a 6-1 run in the middle of the fourth set. Chico State had it first to take a 15-12 lead and Cal Poly Humboldt answered back with the same momentum to take an 18-16 lead. The two sides were kept within two points until the Lumberjacks got the two kills to force the deciding set.
 
The two teams traded off a pair of points to start the fifth game. Chico State got a big 6-1 run to take a 9-3 lead. Leading by six, Chico State found itself in trouble as Cal Poly Humboldt won six straight serves to tie the game at 12. Whyte got back-to-back kills and a Lumberjack attack error gave the Wildcats the win.
 
Chico State returns to Southern California one more time next weekend starting Friday with Cal State San Marcos. First serve is at 5 p.m.