Stan State volleyball team hosts crucial match Saturday with playoff implications

Stanislaus State will be the host venue for next week’s California Collegiate Athtletic Association volleyball tournament.

Whether its Warriors will be a part of the show will come down to what happens this weekend at Fitzpatrick Arena.

The Warriors are one of three teams fighting for the final two spots op the eight-team, single-elimination tournament that starts Nov. 8 on the Turlock campus. The champion advances to the NCAA Division II tournament.

With a victory Saturday over Chico State (14-11, 7-10), Stanislaus ((15-10, 8-9) will clinch one of those spots. Cal State Monterey and Cal State East Bay have secured the top two positions.

If the Warriors lose – they fell to the Wildcats in a five-set thriller earlier this season – they could still get in, but it would depend on how Chico State and San Francisco State (12-11, 7-9) finish out their seasons this week.

In addition to playoff implications, Saturday’s 7 p.m. game with Chico represents Senior Night.

Those veteran players have been a part of the Warriors’ second-best year since 2002, when it went 19-13. The 2015 team that reached postseason won 16 games.

The 2018 Warriors have been led by junior outside hitter Sierra Adams and setter Breanna Cannon.

Adams is among the league leaders offensively, ranking second in kills per set (4.12) and fifth in hitting percentage (.343). She also averages 4.39 points per set, second only to Alexis Cardoza of Cal State San Bernardino, Division II’s No. 1 ranked team.

Cannon, a sophomore setter, is seventh in the CCAA with 9.39 assists per set. She already is in the Stan State Top 10 list for career assists and is on pace to break the school record.

The CCAA Touranment starts Nov. 8 with four quarterfinal matches. In addition to the four teams from the North Division, four more from the South Division will round out the field.

Cross country teams head south: The women’s team is expected to raise some eyebrows and challenge 10-time reigning champion Chico State at the CCAA Championships this Saturday in San Bernardino.

That’s because the Warriors already have beaten the Wildcats earlier this season. Stan State made history in Sacramento on Sept. 29 with a win over the nationally ranked powerhouse at the Capital Cross Challenge.

Led by Enochs High graduate Clarissa Morales and Riverbank High graduate Stephanie Bernal, the Warriors are ranked No. 7 in the West Region. Chico State is first.

The meet, which determines the conference’s individual and team champions, will start with the men’s 8,000 meter race at 9 a.m. and conclude with the women’s 6,000 meter race that features an 10 a.m. start time.

Hosted by Cal State L.A., the races are actually being held on the campus of Cal State San Bernardino.

Warrior Basketball Kickoff Event: Hauck’s Grill in downtown Turlock is hosting a Warrior Basketball Kickoff Event on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m., when fans can meet and greet the Stan State men’s and women’s basketball teams. Photos & autograph sessions and raffles for prizes will be available. Blue Chip Broadcasting, Warrior Athletics’ broadcast partner, will have a live podcast. The event is free to the public and Stan State students, faculty and staff receive food discount with Warrior ID.

This story was originally published October 30, 2018 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Stan State volleyball team hosts crucial match Saturday with playoff implications."