Chico State volleyball’s losing streak continued Saturday against Cal State Dominguez Hills, as they have now lost six of their last seven matches. The loss also gave Chico a winless road trip, losing six straight sets.

Although they kept it interesting throughout all three sets, they were unable to pull out a victory in any of them. Extending their losing streak to six out of their last seven games.

While Chico kept it close, losing 20-25 in the first set and 23-25 in each of the final two sets, their efforts were not enough to overcome the Toros, who are ranked last in the CCAA South. Dominguez Hills’ record is now 9-12 overall (4-9 in conference), but they’ve been hot in their past few games, riding out a four game winning streak. Although Chico State’s record is still over .500, sitting at 12-11, their in-conference record is a disappointing 5-10.

This game was a crushing defeat for Chico as well, since it prevented them from taking over fourth place in the CCAA North. Since San Francisco State lost yesterday, a Chico victory would have pushed them into the playoff picture, because the top four teams from each division earn a playoff berth. However, they now need a San Francisco State loss to secure a playoff spot, even if they win out.

Chico State will come back home next Friday against Sonoma State. Sonoma has a record of 4-10 within the conference, and are just a half game behind Chico. This could be a bounce-back game for the Wildcats, after having a hard weekend on the road.

Sonoma State has played poorly as well lately, losing their last six games. They also have struggled on the road, only winning one of their ten games played.

The Sonoma State game is essentially a must-win for the Wildcats, as they are in a tight race with San Francisco and Sonoma for that final playoff spot. If Sonoma State were to win, the Wildcats would move to sixth in the division, and make it nearly impossible to make the CCAA playoffs.

It is critical also that Chico State wins out, because any loss could effectively mean an early end to their season. Their next two games are against Sonoma State, the winless Humboldt state and finally, they go back on the road to face the third place Stanislaus State, in a tough season-concluding matchup.

Connor McPherson can be reached at [email protected] or @theGOATMcphers1 on Twitter.