ARCATA — Playing some of their best volleyball of the season, and mixing in some of their worst as well, Humboldt State's Lumberjacks dropped a tough five-set match to Chico State on Saturday, 17-25, 25-10, 25-21, 16-25, 15-12.
With the loss, Humboldt State fell to 1-18 on the season and 1-14 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Chico State improved its record to 11-11 overall and 6-10 in conference games.
Humboldt State stormed onto the court in the opening set, showcasing its defensive skills and spreading the offensive attack. A pair of kills by
Oceana Matsubu and another from
Noel Eaton helped open a gap at 17-12, and one by
Taylor Manuel set up match point before a Wildcat attack error ended it.
But a season-long problem with consistency resurfaced in the second set, and Chico State took advantage of the lull. The Wildcats' Makenzie Fahnestock got hot, putting away a pair of kills to give her team a 10-4 lead and force an HSU timeout, and Chico State finished the Jacks off by scoring 12 of the final 13 points.
The third set was a more evenly-played contest, HSU first holding the lead and then Chico State rallying to take control. Humboldt State held off one set point, but Alex Shurtz put down a kill to finish it in favor of the Wildcats.
Re-energized, the Lumberjacks opened up a 8-1 lead to start the fourth set, Manuel contributing a pair of service aces to the surge. Chico State closed within three at 14-11 on a Lumberjack error, but Jo Arzadon's kill and Matsubu's ace tied the match at two sets each.
Chico State took an early 4-0 lead in the fifth set, only to watch the Lumberjacks tie the match on three occasions. Eventually, four service errors doomed the Jacks, who had committed only five service errors in the previous four sets combined.
Matsubu topped the Jacks offensively again, putting down 17 kills and earning a double-double with 11 digs. Manuel also posted a double-double of 12 kills and 15 digs, and Jo Arzadon added 36 assists and 11 digs.
Caitlin Dugan led the Jacks in digs with 25 total.
Shurtz paced Chico State with 18 kills, and Jessica Leek had 10 for the Wildcats. Jacqueline Johnson led Chico defensively with 20 digs, and Jessica Simms added 15.
Humboldt State heads on the road this week, traveling to face Cal Poly Pomona on Friday and Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday.
