Cal State San Bernardino received a wakeup call in the form of a 25-18 setback to Chico State in set one and answered the call by winning the next three sets Saturday night for a 3-1 victory over the Wildcats in a CCAA conference women's volleyball match before 405 fans in Coussoulis Arena.
    The victory, the Coyotes' 26th in a row on their home court, improved their 2009 record to 22-1 overall and 15-1 in the CCAA and gave them a half-game lead over UC San Diego in the drive for a fourth-straight CCAA title. Chico State slipped to 19-6 overall and 10-5 in the CCAA.
    Among the spectators were a dozen former Coyotes volleyball players who earlier had an alumni-only match followed by a dinner and some fellowship.
    CSUSB got much-needed senior leadership from four-year veteran Ashtin Hall who had five kills in the second set as the Coyotes got even 25-19 and finished with 10 kills, 13 digs and two blocks as her team captured set three 25-9 and held off a determined Wildcats team to take the match 25-23 in set four.
    Chico State came in ranked No. 10 in the West Region and No. 25 in the nation while the Coyotes are ranked No. 1 in the West and No. 3 in the nation. It also featured a battle of two of the top three hitters in NCAA Division II -- Jane Chafeh of CSUSB and Makenzie Snyder of Chico State.
    Chafeh finished with a double-double (16 kills, 10 digs and three solo blocks) while Snyder led Chico with 12 kills and 15 digs. Both average over 4.7 kills per set on the season.
    Sophomore middle blocker Samantha Middleborn also had a solid match with 10 kills on .471 hitting with nine digs and four blocks, three of them solo. Sara Hofffman had 40 assists and 10 digs and made good on five of six attacks. Sophomore Morgan Carty had a team-high 14 digs.
    In addition to Snyder, Gillian Heydorff had eight kills and 15 digs whole setter Sable Villaescusa had 40 assists and 11 digs.
    Team-wise the Coyotes hit .265 for the match to just .136 for the Wildcats. CSUSB won the battle of kills 50-45 and outdug the visitors 75-66 and outblocked them 9-2 with seven solo blocks included.
    Chico State came out firing on all cylinders and opened up a 20-13 lead and finished off CSUSB with 17 kills to just six for the Coyotes who hit a measly .148 in the set.
    CSUSB came back in set two behind Hall's leadership, taking a 20-13 lead themselves after outscoring the Wildcats 8-3 in the middle of the set, helped by Hall's five kills. Hall closed out the set with her fifth kill of the match.
    After a 10-minute intermission the Coyotes came out and just pounded Chico, turning a 10-5 lead into a 20-8 runaway on a kill by sophomore Megan Johnson. CSUSB then outscored Chico 5-1, closing out the set on a kill by Middleborn.
    CSUSB opened up a 15-9 advantage midway through the fourth set, but the Wildcats ralllied to trim the lead to two at 17-15 on a kill by the 'Cats Jacqueline Johnson. Chico cut the lead to one at 21-20, 23-22 and 24-23, but the Coyotes prevailed on a match-ending kill by Middleborn.
    It was the 30th win all-time by the Coyotes over Chico State, who haven't beaten CSUSB since 1995.
     The Coyotes will be on the road for the next two weeks, starting with its longest trip of the season to Sonoma State next Friday and Humboldt State on Saturday.