Fresno, Calif. – Despite a hard-fought effort and a back-and-forth opening set, the Chico State volleyball team was unable to sustain momentum Friday night, falling in straight sets to tournament host Fresno Pacific 3–0 (27–25, 25–21, 25–15) at the Special Events Center.
The Wildcats move to 1–1 on the young season, while Fresno Pacific improves to 2–0.
Notable Performances
Kylie Matthews – 10 kills, 9 digs, 1 block, 11.0 points
Claire Nordeen – 27 assists, 8 digs, 1 block
Wyievee Binda – 5 kills, 2 blocks, .400 hitting, 7.0 points
Gwyneth Wentzel – 5 kills, 5 digs, 1 ace, 6.0 points
Sophia Heller – 3 kills on 10 attempts (.300), 1 dig, 3.0 points
Match Summary
Set 1: A tightly contested opener featured eight ties and five lead changes. Chico erased a 22–19 deficit to force extra points, but the Sunbirds capitalized on late errors to edge the 'Cats 27–25.
Set 2: The Wildcats jumped ahead early, but a 7–1 run by Fresno Pacific flipped the momentum. Despite a late push, Chico couldn't close the gap in a 25–21 loss.
Set 3: Chico fell behind early and never recovered, struggling to generate offense in a 25–15 final frame.
By the Numbers
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Chico hit .160 as a team, including just .051 in the third set
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The Wildcats committed 9 service errors and surrendered 8 aces
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Binda hit .400 with just one error on 10 swings
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Chico finished with 33 kills, 39 digs, and 5 total blocks
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Fresno Pacific hit .224 and led in total points 77–61
Wildcat Whispers
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Fresno Pacific now leads the all-time series vs. Chico State 4–3
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Interim head coach Ricci Luyties coached his second match for the Wildcats and holds a career record of 306–249
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This was Chico State's second match of the day, following a sweep of Menlo earlier Friday
Up Next
Chico State wraps up the Sunbird Classic on Saturday with an 11:30 a.m. match against Westmont.
