The Chico State Wildcats women’s volleyball team faced off in their second conference game of the season against the Cal State LA Golden Eagles, who are ranked #4 in the CCAA on the pre-season coaches poll. Despite starting off strong in the first set, the Wildcats weren’t able to overpower the Golden Eagles and fall in straight sets, 25-17, 25-16 and 25-19.
The Golden Eagles scored the first point of the first set, but the Wildcats quickly responded with a 4-0 run, not letting their opponent get comfortable with the momentum.
After the Wildcats hot start, the set eventually evened out. The Wildcats launched 33 attacks while the Golden Eagles tallied 35 of their own.
The deciding factor of the first set was the accuracy of the teams attacks. The Golden Eagles held a .278 hitting percentage while the Wildcats had a .000 hitting percentage, leading to their loss in the first set, 25-17.
The second set didn’t turn out to be much different than the first, the Golden Eagles took an early 6-1 lead, and the Wildcats couldn’t seem to catch up.
Although they improved their numbers with 28 attacks and a .107 hitting percentage, the Wildcats didn’t gain enough ground to match their opponents 29 attacks and .345 hitting percentage. While the Wildcats did improve their offensive numbers, they also had seven attack errors and one ball handling error, which is uncharacteristic for the typically clean team.
Similarly to the first set, the Wildcats lost the second with a score of 25-16.
In the third set, the pace started off a lot slower than the previous two. The Wildcats fell behind quickly, unable to break past the Golden Eagles wall-like defense, which collected four blocks.
At a score of 11-5, the Wildcats’ interim head coach Ricci Luyties called a time out to calm down and reset the team. His words seemed to light a fire under the Wildcats, as they stormed back onto the court louder and more aggressive than they were before.
They closed the gap, going on three 2-0 runs and one 3-0 run in a last effort to catch up to their opponents and even the score. Unfortunately, the Wildcats ran out of time as the Golden Eagles reached the 25 point mark, ending the third set and handing the Wildcats another loss.
Sophomore outside hitter Jillian Davis stood out earning seven points for the Wildcats on six kills and one service ace.
“For our next game we need to have a stronger offense, we need to not be afraid to swing and not be afraid to use all our options,” Davis said. “We were working best when we were swinging as hard as we can and just going for it, that’s when we got some of our biggest kills.”
Coach Luyties also pinpointed what the Wildcats need to improve for their next match, and is hopeful that the team can make the adjustment while they are still early on in the season.
“We definitely need to work on our ball control and passing, that’s what’s getting us out of our system in almost every set,” Luyties said. “If we can get that better, and capitalize on chance opportunities, we are going to look a lot better overall.”
The Wildcats will look to make the adjustment when they travel to Stanislaus State to face the Warriors on Friday at 5 p.m.
For information about all Chico State athletics or to keep up with the game live, visit the Wildcat home page, or watch through FloSports.
Aiyana Curry can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].
