Coyotes sweep Chico State in Wildcats' final home match of the season

CHICO – Crystal Trifeletti and Morgan Hammerstrom were both in the starting lineup Saturday night, playing the final home match of their Chico State volleyball careers, and their Wildcat teammates wanted to make it a night to remember for the four year veterans of Cody Hein’s successful program. Cal State San Bernardino, the 7th ranked team in the nation and having already clinched the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championship, wanted no part of an emotional Chico State sendoff, and proceeded to spoil the festivities with a three-set sweep, beating the ’Cats by scores of 17-25, 16-25 and 23-25 at Acker Gym.

Saturday’s loss dropped Chico State to 12-14 on the season, and 7-13 in the CCAA. Cal State San Bernardino won for the 10th straight time to improve to 23-2 overall and 19-1 in conference play.

Sable Villaescusa's 28 assists Saturday gives her 1,005 for the season; she's gone up and over the 1,000 mark in each of her two years as the Wildcats' setter.
Alex Shurtz was the lone Chico State hitter with double-digit kills, collecting 11 on the night and posting a .348 hitting percentage. Jessica Leek had seven kills and a pair of solo blocks, while Jacqueline Johnson chipped in with five kills, a team-high nine digs and one solo block. Sable Villaescusa doled out 28 assists for the Wildcats, giving her 1,005 for the season; it’s the second straight year the sophomore setter has gone over the 1,000 mark in assists. San Bernardino’s Nicole Moore led all players with 15 kills, with Samantha Middleborn adding 10 kills and four blocks. Camille Smith contributed 39 assists and 14 digs for the victorious Coyotes.

Cal State San Bernardino set the tone for the match early, scoring the opening set’s first two points and never trailing on the way to a 25-17 win. Moore collected six kills and Middleborn added four as the Coyotes posted a .533 hitting percentage in easily taking the first set.

The Wildcats and Coyotes played it even at the start of the second set – Trifeletti delivered a service ace, and kills by Shurtz, Villaescusa, Leek and Johnson helped the ’Cats battle San Bernardino to a seven-all tie. The Coyotes then used a 13-7 run to take a 20-14 lead, and the Wildcats could get no closer than five points the rest of the way; Middleborn registering the deciding kill in San Bernardino’s 25-16 victory.

Chico State made the Coyotes work for the win in set number three – Trifeletti, Shurtz, Leek, Johnson and Kayla Baumgardner all contributed kills; Leek also ringing up a solo block to give the Wildcats a 13-12 lead. San Bernardino answered by scoring six of the next eight points to go up 18-15, and though the ’Cats were able to cut the deficit to one on four occasions, the Coyotes would not relinquish the lead.

 Thanks to a Leek kill and a Johnson solo block, Chico State was able to stave off two match points, but with the score 24-23, San Bernardino’s Jane Chafeh delivered the back-breaking kill that gave the Coyotes the 25-23 victory and a sweep of both the match and the season series with the Wildcats.

Chico State wraps up the 2010 season next weekend with a pair of road matches. The Wildcats will take on Cal State Monterey Bay Friday night, then head to the Bay Area for a Saturday showdown with San Francisco State. Both matches are scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m.