CHICO, Calif. — The Chico State volleyball team lost to Stanislaus State 3-1 (12-25, 25-22, 20-25, 20-25) on Saturday in the first contest at Acker Gym this 2026-27 athletics season.
The Wildcats (2-5, 1-2 CCAA) hit .119 with 28 attack errors, while the Warriors (4-6, 1-2 CCAA) finished at .227. This was the Wildcats' home opener.
Maria Wahl led the Wildcats with 12 kills and 14.5 points, adding five digs and three blocks. Wahl achieved a career milestone with a total of 503 kills. Claire Nordeen finished with 26 assists, eight kills and 13 digs. Jessica Ortiz recorded a team-high 15 digs and added a service ace, while Sophia Heller posted nine kills, 14 digs and five assists.
The Wildcats were pushed into an early deficit in the opening set as Lauren Gonzales served three aces during a 4-0 Stanislaus State start. Kassandra Nall put down the Wildcats' first point, but the Warriors later moved ahead 11-2 and eventually extended the margin to 19-7 on a Gonzales kill from Bailey Morrison. A Wyievee Binda-Nall block gave the Wildcats a sideout at 19-8, and Ortiz followed with an ace before Wahl delivered three straight kills to bring the set to 19-12. Stanislaus State answered with the final six points, including a Rylee Szyszka ace and Emily Meyer's closing kill, to take the set 25-12.
Behind kills from Nall, Wahl, Binda and Whitney Fairfield, the Wildcats built an early 9-6 edge, then pushed the margin to 18-13 when Sally Winnacker served an ace and Stanislaus State committed an attack error. Fairfield achieved the 25 total blocks milestone this season. After Nordeen's kill and Sinam Minasian's ace gave the Wildcats a 21-16 lead, the Warriors answered with five straight points, getting three kills from Emily Meyer, one from Reagan Wilkerson and one from Fallon Freeman to tie the set at 21-21. Heller put Chico State back in front with a kill, and after Irene London tied it at 22-22, Nordeen delivered consecutive kills—one from Heller and the next from Minasian—before Wahl's ace closed the set 25-22.
After the teams reached 2-2, Stanislaus State scored three straight points on a block by Irene London and consecutive Emily Meyer kills to move ahead 5-2. The Wildcats pulled back within 5-4 on a Fairfield-Nordeen block, but the Warriors rebuilt the margin to 9-5 before kills by Nall and a Nordeen ace helped the Wildcats get to 10-9. The Wildcats later closed within 16-15 behind kills from Nordeen and Fairfield, but Stanislaus State answered with four straight points to go up 20-15. Winnacker served an ace and Nall and Wahl added late kills, and a Wahl-Catalina Trautner block fought off one set point before Maggie Olson closed the set for the Warriors, 25-20.
The Wildcats opened with a Wahl kill and a block by Trautner and Wahl for a 2-0 lead, but Stanislaus State pulled even at 2-2 and the teams continued trading points through a 12-12 tie. Heller put down kills that helped the Wildcats move ahead 16-14, but the Warriors answered to tie the set again at 16-16 and 18-18. A Stanislaus State service error and a Nordeen kill from Winnacker put the Wildcats in front 20-18, but the Warriors pulled even at 20-20. Rylee Szyszka then served Stanislaus State through the final five points, recording three aces as the visitors closed the set 25-20.
Chico State hosts Cal State Monterey Bay on Thursday at 5 p.m. in Acker Gym.
