The Lady Panthers won it in three straight, but Chico bounced back after a slow start to make a match of it.
Paradise rolled through the first game 25-8, but the Lady Dragons made it close before dropping a chance to even the match, 25-23, and kept it close in the third game before falling 25-21.
Meg Arthur set up 59 shots for the Lady Panthers. Hannah Johnson turned 15 of those into points with kills. Hannah Runnels, Casey Fletcher and Arthur each added five kills, with Fletcher contributing 11 assists. Fletcher stepped up for seven blocked shots and Arthur three.
Paradise also had a dozen service points, with four aces by Gabbie VonHueval, three each by Runnels and Arthur and two from Fletcher.
Candice McDaniel thwarted Chico with 36 digs, Baleigh Newman had 20, VonHueval 11, Arthur nine, Runnels eight, Courtney Andrews seven and Brandi Erwin five.
"After being very out of synch in game one we played rather well in games two and three," Chico coach Brent Hand said. "We are continuing to grow as a team and continue to get stronger as the year goes on."
Shelby Collins and Hannah Avants each had seven kills for Chico and Alyssa Bowyer five, off 12 assists from Kim Workman.
