ARCATA, Calif.--- Lindsey McLaughlin had a team high 12 kills while Kaitlyn Patterson had 27 digs, as the Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks overcame an early set one loss to take three in a row from Chico State on Saturday evening at Lumberjack Arena. The victory snapped the Jacks nine game losing streak and was also the first time the Jacks have defeated the Wildcats since 2016. 

For head coach Angela Spoja, who also earned her first CCAA victory, the win was a step in the right direction for a building Jacks squad.

"This was a hard fought win," Spoja said. "We have been working on 'small wins' each week, bettering our game and competing, and tonight it paid off."

Nicole Yakushenok had 21 assists to help keep the Jacks offense flowing, while redshirt freshman Mina Barajas had a career high eight kills and 18 digs to contribute on both sides. 

"I'm extremely happy with our defensive efforts led by Patterson and Barajas," Spoja said. "Our setters, Riley White and Nicole Yakushenok had more assists tonight than any other match, as we have been working on delivering better balls to our hitters. Our outside hitters also hit positive, which helped our offensive efforts."

Indeed, the offense seemed to be firing on all cylinders, as the Jacks trailed only three times in the three final frames after dropping the first set 25-21. The squad controlled the flow of the game, buoyed by a strong home fan presence, to capture the momentum and roll to a 3-1 victory. 

"I'm proud of our drive and motivation tonight," Spoja added. 

The Jacks (2-9, 1-7 CCAA) return to the court on Thursday, Oct. 6, when the team makes the trip to Rohnert Park to take on Sonoma State (11-5, 4-4 CCAA) at 5pm. Both teams will then return to Lumberjack Arena for a rematch the following Saturday to begin the second half of the conference season.