Friday, Nov. 9 @ Chico State (15-9, 9-8 CCAA)
Acker Gym
7 p.m.
Live Stats

Saturday, Nov. 10 @ Cal State Stanislaus (7-18, 4-13 CCAA)
Fitzpatrick Arena
7 p.m.
Live Stats

HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay volleyball team will play its final two road matches of the 2012 season this weekend. The Pioneers (10-14, 5-12 CCAA) currently sit 10th in the conference standings, but there are six teams within four games of them with five matches left, so there's time for plenty of movement in the last two weeks. With matches against the CCAA's top two teams on the horizon next week, it makes this weekend's road trip all the more crucial for the Pioneers. They'll travel to Chico State on Friday night, then they'll take on Cal State Stanislaus in Turlock on Saturday, with both matches slated to start at 7 p.m.

WEEKEND RECAP

It was another up-and-down set of matches for the Pioneers last weekend, and perhaps the most difficult road series of the year in terms of travel. Last Thursday, East Bay went up to Humboldt State and fell behind early. Trailing 1-0 and down 23-17 in the second set, the Pioneers flipped a switch and made a huge run to even up the match. They dominated the rest of the match to escape with a four-set victory. After a long drive and a short flight, East Bay was in Pomona two nights later. In their most back-and-forth match of the season, the Pioneers crushed the Broncos in the second and fourth sets, sandwiched around an easy Cal Poly win in the third set. The difference in the match was that the Broncos managed to eke out wins in the first and last sets, both times by two points. The Pioneers outplayed their opponents statistically, but once again lost a heartbreaker.

For the weekend, junior Suzy Ni Xu was the Pioneers' most effective weapon on offense. She totaled 35 kills in the two matches – more than twice as many as her next-closest teammate – and hit .277 to go along with six blocks. Nicole Boyle was second on the team with 17 kills and 31 digs, averaging 3.44 scoops per set. Hannah Bell and Samantha Bruno each posted 13 kills, with Bell adding 22 digs and Bruno notching seven blocks. Jade Sanford had 10 kills and a team-leading nine blocks. Setters Danielle Stewart and Samantha Siebert each averaged a double-double for the two matches. Stewart racked up 48 assists and 24 digs, while Siebert totaled 32 assists and 20 digs. Libero Veronica Sanchez dug out 42 balls to lead the Pioneers.

SPLIT DECISION

It's been the season of the split in conference play for Cal State East Bay in 2012. The Pioneers have posted 1-1 records in the last four sets of weekend matches. Most significantly, the Pioneers have yet to sweep a set of CCAA opponents in the same week. They'll have two more chances to pull off a sweep here in November.

LET'S PLAY FIVE

With a 3-2 loss to Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday, it marks five straight weeks that the Pioneers have played a five-set match. Four of their last five have got five sets, and as a result, East Bay leads the CCAA in total sets played. They have played nine five-set matches overall this year, posting a record of 3-6.

LEADERBOARD WATCH

Sanchez averaged 4.67 digs in nine sets last week, dropping her season average only slightly. The Pioneer libero still leads the CCAA with 4.94 digs per set.

In addition, Sanford posted two more solo blocks last week. The senior middle blocker now has 18 for the season, which is good for fourth in the conference. 

CATCHING UP WITH CHICO STATE

The Wildcats snapped a three-match losing streak by sweeping UC San Diego at home on Saturday. Chico State sits in the middle of the pack in the standings, as well as most of the team stat categories. One Wildcat, however, is having an exceptional season. Junior Alex Shurtz leads the conference in kills, points, and solo blocks. She averages 4.37 kills per set and has already been named CCAA Player of the Week three times this year. In addition, Lindsay Quigley is averaging over two kills a set and ranks second in the conference with a .331 hitting percentage. Setter Sable Villaescusa is having a big season, ranking second in the CCAA with a 10.45 assist average. The Pioneers lost to Chico State when the teams met in Hayward earlier this season.

SCOUTING STANISLAUS

Cal State Stanislaus enters the weekend on a four-match losing streak, having dropped eight of their last nine. They're just one game behind East Bay in the standings, so this match should have significant implications. The Warriors are near the bottom of the rankings for most of the team stats, and they have just two players averaging better than two kills per set. Senior Andrea Fett ranks top-10 in the CCAA in kills, attempts, and points, averaging 3.40 kills per set. Jennifer Marsh leads the team with a .251 attack percentage, while Melissa Bishop ranks fifth in the conference in blocking. The Warriors defeated the Pioneers in five sets in Hayward earlier this season, though Stanislaus has just one victory since that match. East Bay also beat the Warriors in Turlock in 2011. This match will be “Senior Night” for the home team.