Friday, Oct. 28 - Battle of the Bay
vs. San Francisco State
Pioneer Gym
Hayward
7 p.m.
Live stats

Saturday, Oct. 29 - Halloween Party
vs. Cal Poly Pomona (10-11, 7-9 CCAA)
Pioneer Gym
Hayward
7 p.m.
Live stats

HAYWARD, Calif. – With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Cal State East Bay volleyball team will be looking to make its presence felt in the NCAA playoff picture when it returns home this weekend to take on San Francisco State and Cal Poly Pomona. Just one game separates the Pioneers (12-8, 7-8 CCAA) from both the Gators and Broncos, who sit in fifth and seventh place, respectively. East Bay plays host to SF State on Friday night at 7 p.m. and takes on Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday at 7 p.m.

With two wins this weekend, the Pioneers would move into fifth place in the CCAA, greatly improving their playoff chances. In each of the last six seasons, at least four conference squads have reached the NCAA West Regional. East Bay currently sits one match back of fifth place and three games back of fourth place in the league standings. Over the final three weeks of the 2011 campaign, the Pioneers will face off against four teams currently in the top five in the CCAA.

So far this season, East Bay has split every weekend of conference play but one, when it faced the top two teams in the conference – Cal State San Bernardino and UC San Diego. The Pioneers will be looking to avenge a 3-0 sweep at the hands of the Gators earlier this season. SF State held East Bay to its lowest point total in a set this season, capping the win with a 25-7 win in the final frame. On Saturday, the Pioneers will be looking to pick up the season sweep over the Broncos. Cal State East Bay is coming off a loss to Sonoma State and a win over Humboldt State last week.

To get the pair of victories over the weekend, East Bay will need the help of their top players. Sophomore outside hitter Katie Allen leads the CCAA and ranks among the leaders in Division II in aces per set. Allen is also second on the team in kills, averaging 2.7 per set. Meanwhile, junior Kitona Offord is second in the conference in hitting percentage, just behind 2010 AVCA Division II Player of the Year Samantha Middleborn, swinging at a .386 clip to rank 14th in all of Division II. Offord is also leading the team in kills per set at 2.73 and is second on the squad in blocks.

Freshman Samantha Bruno is making a name for herself as a rookie, leading the team with nearly a block per set and 49 solo blocks so far this year. Her totals rank fourth in the CCAA and among the top 100 in the nation. Joining Bruno on defense is senior libero Leslie Ray, who is leading the league in digs per set at 5.34, which also ranks 23rd in Division II.

BATTLE OF THE BAY
Friday's match marks the Pioneers' second edition of the Battle of the Bay, when they meet cross-bay rival San Francisco State. East Bay will be looking to earn the series split after a tough loss in three sets to the Gators earlier this year.

PIONEER HALLOWEEN PARTY
The Cal State East Bay teams will play host to a pre-game Halloween Party at Pioneer Gym at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Elementary school students from East Avenue Elementary in Hayward, Joaquin Miller Elementary in Oakland and Wilson Elementary in San Leandro have been invited to take part in a safe Halloween Party with games, candy and prizes. The kids will also be able to meet and greet players from Pioneer teams. Cal State East Bay students are also encouraged to wear their costumes to the match and receive a free Pioneer Pride t-shirt.

GAUGING THE GATORS
San Francisco State enters Friday's match with a 12-9 overall record and an 8-8 mark in CCAA play, good for outright control of fifth place in the league standings. The Gators are coming off back-to-back wins over Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus last weekend and rank among the top four in the conference in assists, digs and kills per set. Junior setter Iris Tolenada leads the league in assists per set at 10.92, ranking 20th in Division II. Halimah Oswald leads the Gators with 3.06 kills per set and is the reigning CCAA Player of the Week after hitting .446 and posting 35 kills in the two wins last week. In the teams' first meeting this year, SF State picked up a 3-0 victory over the Pioneers.

CATCHING UP WITH CAL POLY POMONA
The Broncos are coming off a weekend split last week against Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus. The Broncos currently sit just behind the Pioneers in the CCAA standings, sporting a 10-11 overall record and a 7-9 mark in league play. Taylr Kreutziger and Kristin McNeese are leading Cal Poly Pomona, with Kreutziger hitting at a .277 clip and leading the team in blocking and McNeese contributing 2.48 kills per set. Lauren Jones is setting the tone in the middle, hitting .239 and ranking second on the team in blocks per set. The Pioneers claimed a 3-1 victory over the Broncos in the teams' first meeting this year and were led by Morgan Hirzel's 13 kills.