CHICO, Calif. – The Chico State volleyball team returned home and rolled past UC Merced in straight sets Thursday night at Acker Gym, winning 3–0 (25–20, 25–19, 25–20). The Wildcats hit a season-best .308 and recorded 49 kills while holding the Bobcats to a .171 attack percentage.

With the win, Chico State improves to 8–12 overall and 4–9 in the CCAA. The Wildcats also evened the season series after UC Merced took the first meeting in five sets last month in Merced.

Notable Performances
– Cashe Olswang – 13 kills (.480), 2 blocks, 1 ace, 15.0 points
– Maria Wahl – 11 kills (.222), 9 digs, 1 block, 12.5 points
– Claire Nordeen – 6 kills (.316), 31 assists, 10 digs, 1 ace, 8.0 points
– Gwyneth Wentzel – 9 kills (.318), 4 blocks, 9.5 points
– Sophia Heller – 7 kills (.278), 13 digs, 8.0 points
– Jessie Camarillo – 21 digs, 1 ace

Match Summary
Set 1 – Chico hit .279 and used a 7–1 run midway through the set to pull ahead, closing it out 25–20.
Set 2 – The Wildcats dominated offensively, hitting .424 while limiting UC Merced to .143 in a 25–19 win.
Set 3 – Chico continued its efficient attack, hitting .250 and finishing the sweep 25–20 behind strong defense at the net.

By the Numbers
– Team hitting: .308 (49–12–120) – highest percentage in a CCAA match this season
– Digs: 69 (Camarillo 21, Nordeen 10, Wahl 9, Heller 13)
– Blocks: 7.0 team; Aces: 5
– Season overview: 8–12 overall, 4–9 CCAA; hitting .188 while opponents are at .197
– Per-set season averages: 12.22 kills, 10.77 assists, 16.03 digs
– Maria Wahl: 209 kills (2.94/set) and 233.5 points this season
– Gwyneth Wentzel: .336 season hitting percentage; 197.5 total points
– Claire Nordeen: 622 assists (8.52/set) with 11 double-doubles this season
– Jessie Camarillo: 311 digs (4.26/set) and 26 service aces; Wildcats lead opponents in digs 1,170–1,119
– CCAA leaderboards (conference-only): Wentzel 10th in hitting percentage (.304); Nordeen 4th in assists per set (7.85); Camarillo 2nd in digs per set (4.35)

Up Next
Chico State returns to Acker Gym on Saturday to host Cal State Dominguez Hills at 5 p.m.