Box score

HAYWARD, Calif. - It took five sets, 64 kills and 11 blocks but the Cal State East Bay volleyball team completed its comeback effort with a 3-2 (25-15, 22-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-13) victory over San Francisco State on Friday night at Pioneer Gym. The Pioneers (13-8, 8-8 CCAA) avenged an earlier three-set sweep at the hands of the Gators and leapfrogged SF State in the CCAA standings in the process, moving into fifth place going into Saturday's meeting with Cal Poly Pomona.

"I'm very proud of the heart and passion my team played with tonight," Head Coach Jim Spagle said. 

Down 2-1, East Bay needed a complete team effort to come back and win the final two sets of the match and a complete effort is what it got. Junior Kitona Offord put together one of her best matches of the season, making her presence felt both offensively and defensively. The Houston, Texas, native led the team with 16 kills – just one shy of her season high – and hit at a .361 clip with just three errors. Offord also posted her second-highest dig total of the year with five and added a pair of solo blocks and two block assists. Meanwhile, freshman Samantha Bruno had a breakout night, posting a career high 15 kills and hitting .500 for the match. Bruno also added two block assists in the win.

"Samantha Bruno and Kitona Offord dominated in the middle of the court," Spagle said. "Morgan Hirzel and Nikki Long controlled the right side of the net, both offensively and defensively, and Leslie Ray and Nicole Boyle made some outstanding defensive plays to really lead our team."

Kristin Neary had an impressive night as well, dishing out 33 digs while running an offense that hit at a .261 clip and saw six players tally at least six kills. Danielle Stewart was also key, sharing the setting duties with Neary and posting 21 assists, in addition to three kills. The pair of setters also combined for 10 digs on the night.

"Kristin Neary had her best game as a Pioneer," Spagle said. "She had excellent location with her sets and made even better decisions as to who to set. Special Recognitions goes out to Katie Allen for some outstanding blocks in the fourth and fifth sets, and Danielle Stewart really came back strong after struggling early."

Thanks to Neary and Stewart's work, Katie Allen, Morgan Hirzel, Nikki Long and Nicole Boyle all joined Offord and Bruno with at least six kills. Allen posted nine kills and six digs, while her work on the block was crucial in the final two sets, as she finished with four total blocks, including one solo effort. Hirzel was East Bay's top blocker on the night, posting three solo blocks and adding eight kills in the process. Meanwhile, Boyle and Long each contributed six kills, with Boyle adding 15 digs to mark her 14th match with double-digit digs. Libero Leslie Ray also made her mark on the match, leading all players with 24 digs and adding a pair of service aces and four assists.

As a team, East Bay had one of its best blocking nights of the season, out-doing the Gators 11-4 at the net. The Pioneers also hit above .250 as a team for the fourth time in five matches, while holding SF State to an .081 hitting percentage.

Despite the low hitting percentage as a team, the Gators appeared to be unstoppable early on, thanks to Megan Johnson's 24 kills and 11 digs on the night. Johnson was on fire at the service line as well, using an impressive top-spin serve to lay down five service aces. The Pioneers struggled to control Johnson, who laid down both line and angle shots until it mattered most, when Allen and Bruno combined to stuff the junior opposite for match point in the fifth set. Reigning CCAA Player of the Week Halimah Oswald joined Johnson in double figures with 10 kills, while setter Iris Tolenada dished out 44 assists and completed the double-double with 14 digs.

"I really have to tip my cap to Megan Johnson, who had an amazing night," Spagle said. "She almost beat us single-handedly."

After trailing early on the fifth set, the Pioneers bounced back to gain a 12-8 lead. Though the Gators pulled back within one at 13-12, East Bay finished out the set with a 12-3 run that saw Offord post three kills and Bruno add two. Cal State East Bay took advantage of 10 SF State attack errors in the set to take a 1-0 lead in the match. 

Though the Pioneers trailed by as many as seven points as late as 22-15 in the second set, they made a serious comeback attempt late in the set. East Bay held off the Gators with a 7-1 run that pulled it within two, 23-22, and saw Long post a pair of kills. SF State regained a 24-22 lead, but the Pioneers continued to fight, holding off set point with a kills from Bruno before Johnson sent the two teams to the break knotted at one set apiece. 

Cal State East Bay took an early lead in the third set, but the Gators stormed back with an 8-1 run that gave SF State a 13-11 advantage. The run included three straight kills from Johnson and gave the Gators the lead for good in the set. After SFSU gained a 24-16 lead, the Pioneers again held off set point for three points before the Gators sealed the victory and took a 2-1 lead in the match. 

The Pioneers opened a 7-3 lead early on in the fourth set and never trailed. East Bay hit at its highest percentage of the match, swinging at a .406 clip and laying down 15 kills with jsut two errors in 32 attempts. The Gators never scored more than two points in a row in the set that saw East bay notch four of its 11 blocks and three aces. After SFSU held off set point twice, Bruno sent the match to a fifth set with a kill to cap the 25-16 victory. 

The fifth set saw the two teams trade the lead three times and play to six ties in a true back-and-forth. First, the Gators gained momentum and took a 6-3 advantage early on. An East Bay timeout fired up the team, as they came out of the break to score six straight points and take a 9-6 advantage. During the streak, the Pioneers got a pair of kills from Offord, but it wasn't enough, as the Gators answered with four unanswered points of their own. Trailing 10-9, East Bay needed a spark and got it from a kill by Stewart, who surprised the Gators with a dump shot to tie the match at 10 and jump start a 3-0 run that gave the Pioneers the lead for the last time. With East Bay leading 12-10, the two teams exchanged points, with the Pioneers getting some quality defense from sub Tatum Bales. The Pioneers took a 14-12 lead on a Bruno kill before Allen returned to the match for Bales. Though the Gators pulled back within one, Allen and Bruno shut the door on Johnson for the first time of the night, capping the set and match victory with a resounding block. 

Cal State East Bay returns to action on Saturday, when it plays host to Cal Poly Pomona at 7 p.m. at Pioneer Gym. The Broncos (11-11, 8-9) are coming off a 3-1 win over Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday night and are now tied for sixth in the CCAA with SF State. Prior to the match, the community is invited to a Pioneer Halloween Party at 6 p.m., where local youth can meet student-athletes, play games, win prizes and trick-or-treat with the Pioneers. East Bay students can also receive a Pioneer Pride t-shirt by wearing their costume to the match.