NAMPA, Id. — A more impressive opening day for Cal State Monterey Bay volleyball you will never find. The Otters lifted the lid their 2018 schedule with wins against two highly–regarded teams on Day One of the Fairfield Inn Invitational at Northwest Nazarene University. CSUMB took down No. 19 NNU 25–17, 25–13, 19–25, 25–19 in their opener before beating a strong Biola University team 26–24, 16–25, 25–21, 25–21 in their evening match.

CSUMB (2–0) had never defeated two teams receiving votes in the national rankings in consecutive matches before doing it Friday. More impressive than the wins themselves was the way in which the Otters accomplished them.

CSUMB hit a sizzling .301 as a team while subduing the host Nighthawks in their first match. Against Biola, the Otters rallied from 17–11 down and saved three set points in the opening frame, then rallied from four points down late in the fourth set to seal the victory.

Senior outside hitter Anela Visesio (Seaside HS) led the attack with 30 total kills. Chandler McKean (Redwood HS) had 26 kills and seven blocks. Senior setter Erica Chapa (San Benito HS/Gavilan College) added 48 assists in the nightcap, the No. 5 mark in CSUMB history for a 4–set match.
 

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THE NNU MATCH WAS OVER WHEN… An Anela Visesio kill snuffed the final Nighthawk rally at 21–18, leading CSUMB to the final four points to seal the win.

THE BIOLA MATCH WAS OVER WHEN… Kyra Galloway's service ace on match point ended a come–from–behind victory in the fourth set.

GIANT KILLERS… With Friday's opening 25–17, 25–13, 19–25, 25–19 win over No. 19 Northwest Nazarene, the Otters now have defeated a nationally–ranked opponent on opening weekend in two consecutive seasons. In 2017, the Otters upended then No. 20 Metro State in four sets at the Spring Hill Suites Otter Classic.

THAT GIRL GIVES A HAND… Senior setter Erica Chapa posted 45 assists in Friday's opener versus Northwest Nazarene to become the sixth player in Otter history to reach 1,000 career helpers. She added 48 more in the late match versus Biola (No. 5 in MB history for a 4–set match) and now owns 1,048 career assists, moving her to No. 5 on the MB career assists list.

DIG THIS… Senior libero Ashlynne Armstrong collected 21 digs Friday to pass the 1,000 career digs mark. She now has 1,003 career digs, good for No. 6 on the CSUMB all–time list.

ON THE BLOCKS… With seven block assists Friday, Chandler McKean moved past Elizabeth Hanna (128) and Julia Ashen (129) into the No. 9 spot on the Otter career list with 132. She needs two more to catch Brittany Etchings (2004–07) for eighth place.

THE LAST WORD… "I was pleased with our approach and our commitment to our plan today, to play the MB way. We did a good job of playing our way for the majority of the day, but as preseason always shows, we have things to work on and I'm excited for more opportunities to do so. All of our hitters did a great job making smart decisions and responding well when we were struggling. They showed a lot of maturity. This took all 19 of us today and we wouldn't have it any other way." — CSUMB Head Coach Moe Melhart

THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters conclude play at the Fairfield Inn Invitational Saturday against Dixie State. First serve is set for 11 a.m. (Pacific).