CHICO/TURLOCK – After facing a midweek loss at Chico State, the Warriors’ volleyball team bounced back over the weekend with a grueling 3-2 victory over Cal State East Bay.

 Saturday night, the team honored seniors Janay Bankston, Melissa Bishop, Andrea Fett and Jennifer Marsh for their last game to be played in the Warrior Arena.

“It was a bittersweet feeling,” Bishop said. “Sad that it’s over but happy to have played four years at a great school with great people. The team really pulled together and fought hard. The girls kept saying ‘Let’s do it for the seniors’ and that was great to hear.”

The Warriors started off strong, pulling ahead of the CSU East Bay Pioneers at the beginning of the first set. They kept their lead until the Pioneers kicked into gear, catching up and then outplaying the Warrior defense. The Warriors quickly responded with kills from Harris, Bankston, Fett and Munoz, upsetting CSU East Bay and winning the set 25-23.

Munoz kicked off the second set with two kills, an assist to Fett and two service aces, forcing CSU East Bay to call for a timeout. 

CSU Stanislaus continued to overpower the Pioneers the entire second set, taking it 25-17 and not once surrendering the lead.

The team struggled in the third and fourth sets, losing 22-25 and 20-25.

Bishop and Marsh put the Warriors’ first points on the board during the final set, but they still trailed CSU East Bay. Kills from Bankston and Harris, along with errors from CSU East Bay, pushed CSU Stanislaus to an 18-16 set win and 3-2 match victory.

“We won both this weekend, and both went to five [sets] and were very intense,” Bishop said. “It’s been a great ride and I hope we have left a legacy and a mark and this program will continue to grow to be CCAA champions.”
The Warriors’ final weekend series kicks off at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday.