Box score

LA JOLLA, Calif. - Despite winning the first set, the Cal State East Bay volleyball team could not overcome a strong UC San Diego team, falling 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-16) in its penultimate match of the regular season at RIMAC Arena on Friday night. The Pioneers (16-10, 11-10 CCAA) started out strong in the first two sets but could not outdo the 15th-ranked Tritons, who held East Bay under 20 points in each of the last two sets.

The Pioneers were paced by Nicole Boyle, Morgan Hirzel and Katie Allen, who each posted 10 kills on the night. Boyle finished with her eighth double-double of the year, adding 19 digs, three total blocks and two aces and hitting at a .318 clip, her third highest in a match this year. Meanwhile, Hirzel posted her second straight match with 10 or more kills and hit at a .320 clip. Both Kristin Neary and Danielle Stewart posted double-doubles, with Neary dishing out 23 assists and scooping 13 digs and Stewart posting 17 assists and 11 digs on the night. 

Samantha Bruno added seven total blocks, including a pair of solo efforts and was joined on the block by Kitona Offord, who had two solo blocks of her own to help East Bay post 12 team blocks, its second highest total this season. In the back row, senior libero Leslie Ray led all players with 27 digs and combined with Allen to commit just two reception errors in 58 serve reception attempts. 

Neither team hit well in the match, as they both hit under .200, with the Pioneers swinging at just a .101 clip. Cal State East Bay nearly matched the Tritons' 13 total team blocks, but committed five block errors and gave up four UCSD aces. The Tritons were led by Hillary Williamson's 16 kills and .382 hitting percentage. Roxanne Brunsting and Katie Condon joined Williamson in double figures, and both Williamson and Condon posted double-doubles. The pair shared the team lead with 18 digs and Brunsting added six total blocks. 

The Pioneers and Tritons were tied six times in the first set and neither team led by more than four points at any point in the set. East Bay led 14-10 early on before UC San Diego went on a 6-3 run to close the gap to one point at 17-16 and then went on to tie the set at 19. The two teams traded points to 20-20, 21-21 and 22-22. The Tritons would score their last point, however, on a Condon kill to take a 23-22 lead before East Bay closed out the set with a kill from Boyle, a block by Bruno and Boyle and a UCSD error. The opening set was the Pioneers best-hitting set, as they committed just four errors and laid down 15 kills. 

The second set saw the Pioneers take an early 4-0 lead that included three straight blocks from Boyle, Hirzel and Bruno. UCSD answered back immediately, taking advantage of three CSUEB attack errors and a pair of blocks from Brunsting and Lauren Demos to score six consecutive points and take a 6-4 lead. Kills from Boyle and Allen tied the set at 6-6 and a Hirzel putaway tied it again at 7-7. Three straight points from the Tritons put them up 10-7, a lead they would never relinquish, despite several attacks from the Pioneers. East Bay closed the UCSD lead to just one at 20-19, but the Tritons finished off the set with a Brunsting kill to tie the match at one set apiece. 

The third set was all Tritons, as they hit at a .394 clip and had just three errors. The Pioneers hit just .062 and had only seven kills in the set. Though East Bay led 3-2 early, UCSD put together a four-point run to take the lead and would never relinquish it. Twice the Tritons posted a run of four or more points. UCSD also out-blocked the Pioneers 4-1 in the set. 

The final set saw the two squads trade points early on, playing to an 8-8 tie before the Tritons scored four unanswered points to take a 12-8 lead. After East Bay closed the gap back to three at 14-11 with a block from Bruno and Faith Alliston and a solo block from Bruno. UCSD answered with seven straight points to take a 21-11 lead. Though the Pioneers went on a 5-1 run that included three kills from Hirzel to cut the lead to six, 22-16, UCSD finished the set with three straight points to take the set and the match. 

Cal State East Bay returns to action to close out the regular season tomorrow when it travels to undefeated and No. 1 ranked Cal State San Bernardino. The Pioneers and Coyotes are set for a 7 p.m. first serve at Couloussis Arena.