Box Score HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay volleyball team defeated visiting UC San Diego Friday night in impressive fashion (25-17, 25-18, 14-25, 25-21). It's the second straight victory for the Pioneers (12-16, 7-14 CCAA), who tomorrow  night will have a chance to win three straight in conference for the first time this year. The four-set victory is the Pioneers' first win over the Tritons since 2010.

Statistically it was a close match, with UCSD (19-10, 14-7, CCAA) actually out-hitting East Bay by a slim margin, .144 to .142. But on the court, this was one of the more one-sided victories of the year for the Pioneers. The team appears to be playing its best volleyball heading into tomorrow's finale.

Suzy Ni Xu wasn't quite as dominant as she was Tuesday, but she still led the Pioneers with 14 kills, adding three blocks. Hannah Bell also reached double digits, posting 10 kills and nine digs. Nicole Boyle dug out 18 balls to go along with five kills. Nikki Long slammed home eight kills, Jade Sanford added eight kills and four blocks, and Samantha Bruno contributed five kills and a team-high six total blocks.

Libero Veronica Sanchez continued an outstanding season with 27 digs in this match. Setter Danielle Stewart notched 25 assists along with nine digs, while Samantha Siebert posted a double-double with 18 assists and 10 scoops.

East Bay got off to a hot start in the first set and took an early lead thanks to a 6-0 run, highlighted by consecutive aces from Stewart and strong back line play from Sanchez, who had seven digs. UCSD was off its game early, making eight attack errors, and the Pioneers took advantage. They continued to extend their lead, eventually winning 25-17 to grab a 1-0 lead in the match. East Bay out-hit the Tritons .324 to .119 for the set.

It was more of the same in the second set, as East Bay jumped out to a 10-4 lead, forcing a UCSD timeout. The team traded points the rest of the way as the Tritons clawed back, but the Pioneers wouldn't give in. When UCSD cut it to 16-14, East Bay answered with a 9-4 run to close out the second set. The Pioneers once again outhit the Tritons, holding them to 10 team kills. Bell and Sanford posted five kills apiece, and Boyle dug out seven balls.

The Pioneers came out playing a little sloppier to start the third set, allowing UCSD to grab a 12-7 lead. Unlike in the first two sets, East Bay struggled to find open court on their attack attempts. They were out-hit .385 to .025 by the Tritons, who cruised to a 25-14 victory to extend the match. Xu had four of just seven team kills for the Pioneers, while Triton setter Amber Hawthorne racked up 12 assists, four kills, and five digs.

East Bay started off better in the fourth set, taking a 6-2 lead and again forcing a UCSD timeout. Two aces from Bruno extended the Pioneer lead before the Tritons answered back, scoring five straight points to draw within three. Ultimately, the Pioneers were able to hold off the comeback and hang on for the 25-21 win. Neither team attacked well in the final set, but East Bay out-hit UCSD .062 to .040 and got four kills apiece from Xu and Bell.

“It was extremely satisfying to see the team bounce back in the fourth set,” said head coach Jim Spagle after the match. “We have struggled mightily in those situations all year.” He added, “This team is absolutely the sweetest group of athletes I have ever coached. It was nice to finally see us bear our fangs this evening.”

Middle blocker Sara McCutchan led the Tritons with 14 kills, and Danielle Dahle added 12. Sophie Rowe dug out 26 balls and Hawthorne filled out the scoresheet with 39 assists and 11 digs.

The Pioneers will hit the court for the final time in 2012 when they host Cal State San Bernardino on Senior Night. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. tomorrow at Pioneer Gym, but fans are encouraged to show up early for a pre-match ceremony honoring this year's four senior volleyball players.