Box Score HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay volleyball team defeated visiting Cal State Monterey Bay in four sets Tuesday night, earning a season split with the Otters (25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 25-16). CSUMB is East Bay's CCAA traveling partner, and the Tuesday matches between the two teams always seem to be tightly contested. Such was the case again on this night, as the Otters and Pioneers sustained a number of long rallies, but East Bay played one of its best matches of the year to close out the victory.

The Pioneers outhit the Otters .217 to .141 for the match, racking up 68 kills to CSUMB's 46. Suzy Ni Xu did it all on this night, setting a career high with 28 kills and hitting a staggering .522. Libero Veronica Sanchez extended her conference-leading dig average by tallying 30 digs – rare for a four-set match -- to go with eight assists. She also delighted teammates and fans with a celebratory cartwheel after scoring a big service ace late in the match, a move that seemed to loosen up the rest of the team.

Nikki Long was second on the Pioneers with 12 kills for the match. Hannah Bell added 10 kills and 15 digs as one of three Pioneers to post double-doubles. Nicole Boyle contributed six kills and 17 digs, and Samantha Bruno notched five kills and a team-high three blocks. The setters also played well for East Bay, with Danielle Stewart totaling 29 assists and 12 digs, and Samantha Siebert adding 23 helps and 11 scoops.

“Suzy lit the gym on fire, and Danielle was smart enough to keep getting her the ball,” said head coach Jim Spagle after the match. “It was the most dominating match a Pioneer has played in my 17 years at East Bay. Nikki's 12 kills were also really big for us, and Veronica deserves a ton of credit as well.”

Spagle also complimented his team's fortitude, with several players at less than 100 percent health-wise. Bell stepped up and played well despite a nagging shoulder injury and a nasty cold, and Boyle played excellent defense while nursing a shoulder injury of her own.

The Pioneers stumbled a bit out of the gate and trailed most of the way through the first set. But down 22-19, they went on a late run, winning the final six points to grab the victory and the 1-0 advantage. Xu and Bell each posted five kills in the opening frame. Sanchez dug out eight balls, and the Pioneers outhit the Otters .234 to .130.

The second set featured more close play, as neither team led by more than four at any point. Once again, the Pioneers found themselves trailing late in the set, but this time they were unable to erase the deficit. Cal State Monterey Bay won the second set to even the match at 1-1 behind six kills from Lily Staight and five from Victoria Clardy.

Both teams were impressive on offense in the second frame, as the Otters hit .333 with 17 kills and two errors, while the Pioneers hit .298 with 18 kills and four errors. The Pioneers fell 25-23 despite 10 kills from Xu, the best single-set total from any East Bay player this season.

The Pioneers came out of the intermission strong and grabbed an 8-1 lead in the third set. After an Otter timeout, the visiting team pulled back within two, and the score remained close the rest of the way. Trailing 19-18, the Pioneers again made a run to close out the set, winning seven of the final 10 points. Xu notched six kills and Sanchez racked up eight more digs as East Bay took a 2-1 advantage in the match. They outhit Cal State Monterey Bay .161 to .064 in the third frame and had a bit more success on defense, allowing just nine Otter kills despite not recording a block.

Trying to close out the match, East Bay started the fourth set in similar fashion to the third, taking a 6-1 lead and forcing a timeout. The Otters climbed back to within two, but this time the Pioneers wouldn't need to make a comeback. They carried a lead throughout the set and won 25-16, closing the match on a 6-1 run. For the second straight set, East Bay held its opponents to under .100 attacking, outhitting the Otters .217 to .026. Xu closed out an outstanding match with seven kills, helping the Pioneers break a three-match losing streak.

“My team earned that win by limiting unforced errors, which have killed us all year,” added Spagle. “Tonight, the team really came together and got it done. I really enjoyed watching them celebrate successfully winning what I call 'big points' – especially Veronica's cartwheel after a big ace.”

Clardy led the Otters with 12 kills and a .385 hitting percentage. Setter Kelsey Johnston filled up the scoresheet with 36 assists, 16 digs, and three blocks. The Pioneers did an admirable job dealing with Julia Ashen, the CCAA's second-leading scorer, holding her to nine kills and .087 hitting.

Cal State East Bay continues its season-ending homestand this weekend as the team welcomes two tough Southern California opponents into Pioneer Gym. The Pioneers will host UC San Diego on Friday and Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday, with both matches set for 7 p.m. Saturday night will be senior night for East Bay, and fans are encouraged to show up early as the four Pioneer seniors will be honored prior to the match.