Friday, Sept. 28
vs. Cal Poly Pomona
(6-6, 2-3 CCAA)
Pioneer Gym
7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 29
vs. Humboldt State
(2-10, 0-5 CCAA)
Pioneer Gym
7 p.m. 

Hayward, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay volleyball team is back at home this weekend to continue conference play with two crucial matches. The Pioneers opened their CCAA schedule with four matches on the road and came up short in all four. Now 5-6 for the season, East Bay will look to get back on track and make up some ground in the competitive CCAA, which currently features two nationally ranked teams. The Pioneers host Cal Poly Pomona on Friday, then take on Humboldt State on Saturday, with both matches set for 7 p.m.

“It will be nice competing back at home,” said head coach Jim Spagle. “We are focusing on our systems of play -- the discipline, determination, and fundamentals in doing all the little things required to successfully achieve our goals.”

This will be the team's first time back in Pioneer Gym since defeating Cal Baptist in four sets to close out the Route 92 Showdown three weeks ago. That victory, which helped Cal State East Bay finish as tournament runner-up, now stands as a high point for the season overall. Since then, a combination of injuries to veteran players, tough opponents, and lack of execution has left East Bay at 0-4 and near the bottom of the CCAA standings. But with the vast majority of their conference schedule still in front of them, the Pioneers have ample opportunity to get back on track. This weekend, they'll take on two teams that have faced early-season challenges of their own.

“Both Cal Poly Pomona and Humboldt State have great athletes who will need to be accounted for,” added Spagle. “If we compete within our playing systems and play with a determined aggressiveness, success will follow.”

POSITIVE SIGNS

Despite going winless in southern California, the Pioneers played their best conference match of the season against Cal State Dominguez Hills. Several players turned in solid performances, including a career match from junior Brittany Dominguez (10 kills, zero errors, four blocks). Senior Nicole Boyle and junior Suzy Ni Xu have been the leading attackers for East Bay all year, averaging 2.59 and 3.05 kills per set, respectively. Xu ranks in the top-10 in the conference in kill average, while Boyle boasts 3.35 digs per set and a team-best .230 attack percentage. Junior Hannah Bell has also been a valuable all-around player, leading the team in aces and ranking third in kills per set (2.08) and dig average (2.60), with just eight receiving errors.

AMONG THE LEADERS

In addition to Boyle and Xu, who both rank in the CCAA's top-20 in kill average and attack percentage, a few other Pioneers sit near the top of the conference leaderboard. Sophomore Samantha Bruno has 34 total blocks this year, and her 0.97 set average is good for sixth in the CCAA. In conference matches only, Bruno ranks fourth, with Xu and Dominguez both also in the top-10. Sophomore libero Veronica Sanchez has turned it on lately, setting career highs with 27 digs and 7 assists last Saturday. She now ranks eighth in the conference with 3.83 digs per set. In addition, junior setter Samantha Siebert is in the top-10 in assist average, while Hannah Bell ranks sixth in aces per set.

BRONCO BREAKDOWN

Cal Poly Pomona comes to Hayward with a 2-3 conference record after losing two matches at home last week (UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino). They enter the match ranked third in the CCAA in block average, with senior Taylr Kreutziger and sophomore Lauren Jones both sitting in the top-10. The Broncos are led offensively by senior Diana Lake, who ranks seventh in the conference with 3.44 kills per set. Senior libero Kelly Bonja is currently fourth in the CCAA in dig average (4.30). The Broncos have shown the ability to win on the road this year, having already defeated Humboldt State and Cal State Stanislaus in their gyms. The Pioneers won both of their matches against Cal Poly Pomona in 2011.

LEARNING ABOUT THE LUMBERJACKS

Humboldt State enters the weekend on a seven-match losing streak and sit at the bottom of the CCAA standings at 0-5. This will be the second trip to Pioneer Gym this season for the Jacks, who went 1-3 in the Route 92 Showdown. Last week, the team dropped two home matches against UCSD and Cal State San Bernardino. Humboldt State has struggled on offense, ranking last in the conference in attack percentage. The team is strong behind the service line, however, leading the CCAA by a wide margin with 2.13 aces per set. Indeed, five Lumberjacks rank in the top-12 in the conference in service ace average. The leading attacker for the Jacks is senior Alexa Rosendale, who averages 3.16 kills per set, good for eighth in the CCAA. Junior libero Tiffany McCray is currently second in the conference with 4.41 digs per set, while sophomore setter Sarah Wilbur ranks 11th with a 7.54 assist average. Cal State East Bay has not lost to Humboldt State in three years since joining the CCAA, posting a record of 6-0.