Box score

HAYWARD, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay volleyball team earned its first weekend sweep of the CCAA season with a 3-1 victory over Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday night. The Pioneers (14-8, 9-8 CCAA) had three players in double figures in kills, led by Kitona Offord's 12-kill effort, and completed the season sweep over the Broncos with the win. 

"I'm very proud of the team digging deep to pull this match out," Head Coach Jim Spagle. "Cal Poly Pomona might be the most improved team in the CCAA."

Offord led the team for the second night in a row and also hit at a .360 clip. Nikki Long and Katie Allen joined Offord in double digits, each adding 11 kills on the night. Long set a new season high in kills and led the team with her .429 hitting percentage. Defensively, Nicole Boyle led the team and tied for the match high with 16 digs, while Samantha Bruno notched four total blocks on the night. Danielle Stewart led all players with 27 assists, earning a starting spot, along with Long, in the final two sets.

"We found success with Nikki Long and Kitona Offord really setting the tone offensively, along with some big kills by Samantha Bruno and Katie Allen."

The Pioneers hit at a .259 clip and posted five total blocks, while holding the Broncos to a .196 hitting percentage with 20 errors. Cal Poly Pomona was led by Courtney Alberi's 14 kills and Kristin McNeese's 10-kill, 16-dig double-double. 

Set 1 - Cal State East Bay 25, Cal Poly Pomona 20
The two teams traded points early on in the first set, tying things at 6-6. The Pioneers followed with a 7-2 run that gave them a 13-8 advantage. The Broncos came roaring back, however, with a 7-2 run of their own, helped by five attack errors by Cal State East Bay. Tied 15-15, the Pioneers finished off the set with a 10-5 run that included three Long kills and a pair of putaways by Allen. Offord and Long led the team with four kills apiece in the set and the Pioneers hit at a .256 clip.

Set 2 - Cal Poly Pomona 25, Cal State East Bay 15
The Pioneers and Broncos traded points  early on again before Cal Poly Pomona wnet on a 12-5 run to take an 18-11 advantage. The Broncos finished the set off with a 19-9 run and held the Pioneers to a .114 hitting percentage in the set, while hitting at a .333 clip. 

Set 3 - Cal State East Bay 25, Cal Poly Pomona 22
The third set was all Pioneers, as they never trailed and hit .294. East Bay led by three twice at 9-6 and 13-10 but the Broncos answered with a 5-2 run to tie the match at 15. The Pioneers took a 19-15 lead thanks to two service aces from Kristin Neary before Pomona scored three straight points to cut the lead to 19-18. Both teams traded points to 22-22 before Kitona Offord and Katie Allen finished the set off with three straight kills to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

Set 4 - Cal State East Bay 25, Cal Poly Pomona 18
The Pioneers only trailed once in the final set and had their best-hitting set of the match, swinging at a .359 clip and notching 18 kills. Though the Broncos led 9-5 early on, East Bay got a kill from Morgan Hirzel to spark 11 unanswered points behind Nicole Boyle's serve to take a 16-9 lead. The run saw Hirzel, Allen and Bruno combine for six kills and Boyle lay down an ace. Though the Pioneers led 23-14, Cal Poly Pomona crept back in to the match and held off set point three times before Hirzel closed out the set with a line shot to give East Bay the win and the season sweep.

"Nicole Boyle's huge run at the service line and thunderous kills in the middle really got us going in that critical fourth game," Spagle said. "Big, big match at Monterey Bay on Tuesday."

Cal State East Bay returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to Seaside to take on travel-partner Cal State Monterey Bay. The Pioneers topped the Otters, 3-0, earlier this season.