Sports

Chico wins final round of DII west volleyball showcase

Kenta Mcafee // September 12, 2016

The Chico State women’s volleyball team practices before their game. Photo credit: Jordan Jarrell

Chico State closed out the Division II West Region Volleyball Showcase on Sept. 10, with a 3-2 win against the Hawaii Pacific Sharks. The win propels the ‘Cats overall season record to 5-3.

The Sharks were able to take the first point in the first set, but Chico State quickly tied with a kill by junior outside hitter Olivia Mediano. The set remained close with a mixture of ties and lead changes, as Chico State held the largest lead in the set with just three points.

The first set had 16 ties and five lead changes as neither team was able to score consecutively on one another. While the set was forced into extra matches with the team’s tied 25-25, Chico State was able to pull ahead with a kill by Mediano and first year outside hitter Camryn Rocha to give them a 27-25 win in the set.

Hawaii Pacific was able to gain an early 2-0 lead in the second set with two early kills. While the ‘Cats were able to keep the set close, they could not overcome the two point lead the Sharks gained.

Senior setter Torey Thompson was a key factor in the ‘Cats keeping the second set close, as she assisted on 14 kills in the second set and scored on one kill. While Thompson’s assisting was able to keep Chico State close in the game, they were unable to overtake Hawaii Pacific and lost the second set 25-23.

Errors resulted in the Sharks taking the third set over Chico State, as the ‘Cats allowed Hawaii Pacific to gain the first point of the match on a bad set. Chico State had seven errors in the third set, compared to the Sharks’ four.

While errors helped the Sharks get ahead, the ‘Cats were able to keep the set close through their assists and continued kills by Rocha and Mediano. Chico State lost the third set 23-25, after three consecutive attack errors gave Hawaii Pacific a late lead.

The Sharks got off to another early lead in the fourth set, and lead by as much as four. Chico State had error difficulty in the beginning of the match, but was able to take the lead off several consecutive kills.

The ‘Cats lead by as much as seven in the fourth set after two service aces and two kills by first year middle hitter Kim Wright helped them take command of the set. Chico State closed out the fourth set 25-20 with a kill from Rocha, to tie the game 2-2.

The ‘Cats were able to take the first point of the final set, but the Sharks quickly retaliated and gained an early two point lead off of two kills and an error. Both teams struggled to get ahead in the game, until Chico took scored five consecutive points off kills from Rocha and Mediano, and several errors by Hawaii Pacific.

Mediano delivered the final kill of the game with an assist by Thompson, to win the set 15-10, and the game 3-2.

Chico State will be back on the court in their first home game of the season against William Jessup University on Sept. 12.

Key Players:

First year outside hitter Camryn Rocha