Wildcats' Regional bid hinges on final regular season matches

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Wildcats' Regional bid hinges on final regular season matches

The 2009-10 volleyball team celebrates after a good effort.

To reach the NCAA Championship Tournament, the Wildcats need to finish the regular season with wins over Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. this weekend.

11/12/2009 3:14:45 PM

CHICO, Calif. – The Chico State volleyball team has certainly exceeded expectations in 2009, winning more matches than any Wildcat squad since 1993. But despite the success, the ’Cats’ ultimate goal of a fourth straight NCAA Championship Tournament bid will all come down to their performance in the regular season’s final weekend as the ’Cats hit the road to take on Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday and Cal State L.A. on Saturday.

Winners of 10 of its last 14 matches, Chico State – 22-8 overall and 13-7 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) – are ranked No. 25 in the Bison/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll and 10th in the latest NCAA West Region poll. The pressure is now on the Wildcats to win out this weekend – but even with victories over Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A., Chico State’s postseason fate will be in the hands of the NCAA selection committee, which will announce regional qualifiers Sunday night.

Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-26 overall, 1-19 CCAA) is wrapping up a tough season that has seen the Toros drop their last 17 contests. In their lone meeting of the season, the Wildcats beat Dominguez Hills in three sets October 10 at Acker Gym.

Cal State L.A. (20-8 on the season, 16-5 in the CCAA) will be well rested when Chico State visits the Eagles Nest on Saturday – the Golden Eagles beat Cal State Stanislaus Wednesday and are idle on Friday. Cal State L.A., sitting in third place in the conference standings, currently holds the No. 20 position in the Bison/AVCA national poll and is ranked sixth in the West Region. Earlier this season, the Golden Eagles came to Chico and beat the Wildcats in four sets October 9.

Several Wildcats continue to rank high on the CCAA’s individual player stat sheet – Makenzie Snyder heads into the final weekend of the regular season No. 1 in the conference (and third in the nation) in kills per set with an average of 4.74; Snyder also leads the CCAA in points per set (5.24). Gillian Heydorff is fifth in points per set (4.35) and is sixth in the CCAA in both kills per set (3.79) and digs per set (3.69). Sable Villaescusa is fourth in the conference in average assists per set (10.48), while Jessica Leek ranks second in the CCAA in service aces per set (0.44).

Friday and Saturday’s matches are both scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Wildcat fans can follow the action via Live Stats available on both the Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. websites. Friday’s match against the Toros will also be nationally televised live via Internet TV on the Toro Sports Network. Fans can watch free of charge with no registration required – www.GoToros.com/Live will provide coverage online beginning at about 6:45 p.m.

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Wildcats of the Week

Caressa Williams

Women's Basketball

For much of the season, redshirt freshman Caressa Williams has been sitting at the end of the Chico State women’s basketball team bench, seeing very little on-court action. But the former Paradise High School star continued to work hard on her game, and the extra effort has paid off in recent weeks with significantly more playing time. After a string of short but impressive relief roles, Williams delivered a breakout performance Saturday against Humboldt State, posting career highs in scoring and rebounding in the Wildcats’ 90-67 thumping of Humboldt State. Her strongest effort to date makes Williams the latest Wildcat of the Week.

Williams shot over 58 percent (7-of-12), averaging just under 10 points and five rebounds in Chico State’s two weekend contests. She began the weekend with a solid outing Friday against Sonoma State, contributing five points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals in 16 minutes of action. Saturday, though, she was a major part of the Wildcat reserves combining to score 51 in the team’s convincing 23-point win over Humboldt. Williams played 24 minutes, scoring 14 points and hauling in seven rebounds – both career highs – connecting on five of her seven field goal attempts. She also chipped in with an assist and a steal in addition to shining on the defensive end.

Williams’ productive weekend saw her season scoring average more than double, rising from 1.6 to 3.6 points per game. Overall, she is shooting 50 percent from the field and is averaging two rebounds a contest.

Chico State is back in action this weekend, hosting Cal Poly Pomona Friday and San Francisco State Saturday at Acker Gym. Both games are scheduled to tipoff at 5:30 p.m.

Amir Carraway

Men's Basketball

Amir Carraway capped a strong weekend with team highs of 16 points and seven rebounds in the Wildcats’ huge win against Humboldt State Saturday night to earn Wildcat of the Week honors for the second time this season.

The sophomore from Vallejo made two game-sealing free throws with 21 seconds left to finish the night 6-of-7 from the free throw line and pulled down key rebounds on two of the Lumberjacks’ last three possessions. He also set the screen on Jay Flores’ dagger 3-pointer with 40 seconds left.

Carraway finished with 10 points and four rebounds despite playing just 18 minutes due to foul trouble during the Wildcats’ loss to Sonoma State the night before.

The 6-foot-5 forward leads the team in rebounding at 5.5 per game and ranks second in scoring at 10.6 points per game a season after averaging just 1.4 points and one rebound in only 5.4 minutes a night. He’s now led the team in scoring five times and rebounding six this season.

Carraway and the Wildcats, among four teams tied for second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings, trail conference co-leaders Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills by just one game. They’ll welcome Cal Poly Pomona to town Friday night and San Francisco State Saturday.

1.19.12 | Women's Volleyball

Wildcats host volleyball tryout for junior college players Jan. 27

CHICO – Head Coach Cody Hein, continuing to seek out talent for the Chico State volleyball team’s 2012 roster, has announced an open tryout for junior college players on Friday, Jan. 27 from 3:30-6 p.m. in Shurmer Gym. The tryout is open to all former and current JC players with college eligibility; all prospective athletes must bring proof of a physical issued by a physician within the last six months to participate.

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12.8.11 | General

Rising in the fall

While the leaves have been falling in the City of Trees, the citiy's University, Chico State, has been rising toward the top of the list of the nation’s best NCAA Division II athletic programs. The Wildcats finished the fall ranked second in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup fall standings, released Thursday.

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11.28.11 | Women's Volleyball

All-America honor the capper to Leek’s standout season

CHICO – The postseason has been nearly as productive for Chico State volleyball player Jessica Leek as the season itself. After an outstanding 2011 campaign, Leek has been hauling in the hardware ever since – a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) First Team award, All-West Region honors, and a spot on the CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District Volleyball Team. Monday Leek received yet another esteemed honor, earning All-America Honorable Mention from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).

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11.22.11 | Women's Volleyball

Leek named to 2011 AVCA All-West Region Team

CHICO – Jessica Leek’s best year yet as a Chico State Wildcat received more postseason recognition Tuesday – after winning All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) First Team honors, the junior opposite hitter was among 14 players named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-West Region team.

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11.16.11 | Women's Volleyball

All-CCAA status for Leek, Villaescusa

WALNUT CREEK – Jessica Leek was the Chico State volleyball team’s most consistent offensive weapon in 2011, thanks in large part to the sets provided by teammate Sable Villaescusa. So it only made sense that the two Wildcat standouts would both be honored Wednesday by the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) – Leek was named to the All-CCAA First Team, while Villaescusa was an All-CCAA Second Team selection.

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11.14.11 | Women's Volleyball

The Sound - and Sight - of Music on the court earns senior Wildcat of the Week honors

Playing backup to an all-conference and all-West Region athlete usually doesn’t allow for a whole lot of playing time. That’s exactly what Kristan Music has endured in her two years with the Chico State volleyball team – with Sable Villaescusa establishing herself as one of the top setters in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), Music has had precious little court time to show off her skills. But Saturday against Cal State Dominguez Hills, Music finally got her chance to shine, and she did not disappoint – in what turned out to be her final collegiate match, she played the final two sets and guided the ’Cats to a sweep of the visiting Toros. Music’s performance earned the Marysville native Wildcat of the Week honors.

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11.13.11 | Women's Volleyball

Sooooo close – Wildcats fall short of earning NCAA Tournament bid

CHICO – The Chico State volleyball team knew it had to finish the 2011 season strong and be the beneficiaries of some good old-fashioned Lady Luck to nab a berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament. The Wildcats, ranked No. 9 in the West Region, got both over the weekend with wins over Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills, and with No. 8 Alaska-Anchorage falling Saturday to Western Oregon, the ’Cats’ chances of extending their season increased dramatically. But despite the tide seemingly turning in Chico State’s favor, it still wasn’t enough to earn a trip to the postseason, as the ’Cats learned Sunday night they were not among the field of 64 teams vying for the Division II national championship.

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