Box Score
CHICO -- Cal State L.A.'s women's volleyball team saw its four-match winning streak come to an end Saturday when the Golden Eagles were unable to hold off a determined Chico State squad.
The Golden Eagles won the opening set and had a 21-15 lead in the second set before the Wildcats stormed back for a 22-25, 25-22, 27-25, 25-16 win in a California Collegiate Athletic Association match in Acker Gym. Cal State L.A. (10-7, 7-6 CCAA) was forced to settle for a season split with the Wildcats.
The Golden Eagles prevailed in four sets in Los Angeles in the conference opener for both schools.
Zuzana Cizova had 14 kills to lead the Golden Eagles, while
Mary Laupepa and
Natalia Gonzalez had 11 kills each.
Chelsea Hamilton had 10 kills.
Makenzie Fahnestock had a match-high 18 kills to lead Chico State (10-10, 5-9 CCAA). Jessica Leek and Alex Shurtz had 14 kills each.
Chico State hit at a .268 percentage and limited Cal State L.A. to just a .161 percentage. The Golden Eagles had 59 kills, but also 32 attack errors.
Hamilton had a team-high 16 digs, while
Stefanie Gay had 15 digs.
The Golden Eagles staged a nice rally in the opening set, overcoming an early 16-11 deficit to win. Cal State L.A. went on a 6-0 run fueled by a pair of kills by Cizova and kills by Laupepa and Gay to take a 17-16 lead. Chico State regrouped to take a 21-20 lead, but kills by Gonzalez and Hamilton gave the Golden Eagles a 22-21 lead. After the Wildcats tied it at 22-22, a bad set, a block by
Marquis Mora and an attack error gave the opening set to the Golden Eagles.
Cal State L.A. then appeared poised to take a 2-0 lead in sets when the Golden Eagles opened up a 21-15 advantage after a 4-0 run that featured two kills by Cizova and another by Mora. Chico State, though, roared off a 10-1 run to grab the set and even the match. Cal State L.A. stopped Chico State's initial run after a kill by Cizova kept the Golden Eagles ahead, 22-20, but the Wildcats scored the final five points to take the set.
The third set was the tighest of the evening. Chico State held set points at 24-21, but the Golden Eagles got a kill by Laupepa, a block by Gonzalez and a kill by Gonzalez to tie it at 24-24. Chico State took a 25-24, but a kill by Gonzalez tied it once again. Chico State then got kills by Shurtz and Leek to take the set, 27-25.
Cal State L.A. fell behind quickly in the fourth set and never could recover. Chico State jumped out to a 10-5 lead and never looked back. Kills by Cizova and Hamilton got the Golden Eagles to within 12-10 and a block by Mora made it 13-12, but that was as close as the Golden Eagles would get. Chico State scored the next four points to take a 17-12 advantage and led comfortably the rest of the way.
Cal State L.A. will continue its four-match string of games on the road with a match at Cal Poly Pomona next Thursday.
