CHICO, Calif. — The Chico State volleyball team defeated Cal State Monterey Bay 3-2 in front of a thrilled crowd on Wildcat FANatics on Thursday. Although these are CCAA foes, the result will not reflect the conference standings as part of the new scheduling format.
The Wildcats rallied from 11-13 to 16-14 in the fourth set on the way to a 25-20 set win, then closed the match with a 15-9 fifth set. This match marked the second time this season that the Wildcats have had to play in a deciding set. Chico State is now 1-1 when playing five sets.
Kassandra Nall led Chico State with 16 kills, marking the highest total for the season, and 18.5 points while hitting .455 and adding five total blocks, a career high. Maria Wahl finished with 13 kills, 17 points, a season-high hitting percentage of .314, seven digs and four total blocks. Claire Nordeen recorded a season-best and career-high 47 assists, seven digs and two service aces. Whitney Fairfield tallied eight kills and a team-high six total blocks.
After CSUMB moved in front 4-3, Chico State scored five of the next six points, with Wahl putting down two kills and Fairfield and Nall combining on a block for an 8-5 lead. The Otters stayed close at 10-9, but the 'Cats scored eight straight points as Jillian Davis started the stretch with a kill, Nordeen served seven straight points that included an ace, and Nall closed the run with back-to-back kills for an 18-9 lead. CSUMB trimmed a 22-12 margin to 22-15, but Chico State answered with kills from Fairfield, Wahl and Davis down the stretch to finish the set 25-17.
After Nall and Wyievee Binda combined on a block for the first point, CSUMB moved in front 5-2 behind two Kayla Smith kills and Maya Giannini's ace before kills from Nall and Nordeen helped the Wildcats close to 5-4. The Otters rebuilt their lead to 10-6, then Macey Camacho served four straight points on Chico State attack errors to make it 14-6. The 'Cats later got kills from Wahl and Nall, plus service aces from Sinam Minasian and Wahl, as they worked back to 20-16. CSUMB answered with four straight points to reach set point at 24-16, and after Sally Winnacker's kill, Abby Witzansky's block closed the set at 25-17.
The third set stayed tight early before Chico State moved ahead 8-6 on a block by Davis and Fairfield and a CSUMB attack error. The Otters answered with four straight points, including kills by Maya Giannini and Kayla Smith and consecutive Sofia MacPherson service aces, and later built a 16-11 lead behind kills from Malia Peterson and MacPherson. The Wildcats pushed back with kills from Nall, Fairfield and Wahl around a Kayla Smith attack error to get within 16-15, then later tied the set at 20-20 on a Fairfield kill and back-to-back Marley Harrison kills. CSUMB scored the final five points, starting with an Abby Witzansky kill and including a MacPherson ace, to take the set 25-20.
After Nall and Wahl had early kills for the 'Cats, CSUMB turned a 5-5 tie into a 9-5 lead. Chico State worked back to 11-11 on a bad set and a Catalina Trautner-Wahl block, but the Otters moved back ahead 13-11. Nall's kill started a 5-1 Wildcats push that included blocks by Nall and Fairfield, Fairfield and Wahl, giving Chico State a 16-14 lead. The Wildcats later stretched the margin to 21-17 with a Sophia Heller kill, a Nordeen ace and a Trautner kill, then closed the set 25-20 on consecutive kills by Nall and Wahl.
Chico State started the fifth set with a Nall kill and ran the lead to 5-0 behind Heller's serve, including a Binda kill, a Wahl-Binda block and Heller's ace. CSUMB got back to 8-6 with kills from Lilly Bandle, Abby Witzansky and Maya Giannini, but a service error returned the serve to the Wildcats before a Heller-Binda block and another attack error made it 11-6. Chico State kept the margin in front from there, getting a Heller kill for 12-7, a Nall-Binda block for 13-8 and a Wahl block for set point. After an unsuccessful Chico State challenge confirmed Otter Malia Peterson's kill to make it 14-9, a CSUMB service error closed the set for the Wildcats, 15-9.
The Wildcats will welcome CCAA newcomer Menlo on Saturday at 5 p.m. Like tonight's match, the contest with the Oaks will be treated as non-conference.
