Route 92 Showdown Central

HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay volleyball team will return home this weekend to host the Route 92 Showdown, a ten-team tournament that will pit the Pioneers (2-1) against four different opponents over the span of two days. On Friday, the team will take on Holy Names at 2 PM, followed by Academy of Art at 7 PM. Saturday will see the Pioneers matched up against Northwest Nazarene at 2 PM, and then Cal Baptist at 7 PM to close out the tournament.

Cal State East Bay is coming off a season-opening trip to Fairbanks, Alaska, where it went 2-1, capped off by a come-from-behind victory over the tournament hosts. After being swept in three sets by Findlay on Saturday morning, the Pioneers came back strong in the nightcap, notching 54 team kills and a .305 attack percentage in the four-set victory over Alaska. Nicole Boyle and Suzy Ni Xu had big weekends for the Pioneers, earning All-Tournament honors.

The Route 92 Showdown will be the final regular season tune-up for the Cal State East Bay, before the team begins it CCAA schedule next week against San Francisco State.

HOT START

Cal State East Bay has made a habit of starting impressively in recent years. The 2010 squad won its first 8 matches, eventually finishing 20-7. Last year, the Pioneers jumped out of the gate with a 6-1 record and rode that to a 16-11 season. Now the 2012 Pioneers will look to continue that early season trend. After a couple of wins in Alaska, the team has a chance match last year's 6-1 mark with four home contests this weekend.

EARLY LEADERS

Newcomer Ni Xu has provided an early spark for Cal State East Bay in 2012. The junior transfer from Iowa Western Community College has racked up 34 total kills and a .309 attack percentage, both of which lead the team. Boyle, the Pioneers' other All-Tournament honoree, has contributed 24 kills of her own, and the senior outside hitter ranks second on the squad with 32 digs. Junior Samantha Seibert has handled the bulk of the setting duties thus far, totaling 91 assists in the first three contests. Sophomore libero Veronica Sanchez has made her presence known as well, leading the team with 36 digs.

COMING UP ACES

Another newcomer, Hannah Bell, has made an immediate impact for Cal State East Bay at the service line. After three matches, Bell has racked up 10 services aces, which leads the CCAA. The junior transfer from Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon has been a jack of all trades for the Pioneers, ranking second on the team in kills (28) and third in digs (28).  

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HAWKS

Holy Names enters the weekend looking to turn its season around after a 1-3 start in the Humboldt State Tournament. The Hawks lost all six sets of their doubleheader last Friday, including a sweep at the hands of fellow Route 92 Showdown participant Cal Baptist. Holy Names rebounded with a stronger effort the following day. The team defeated Dominican for its sole 2012 victory before dropping a hard-fought, five-set match to host Humboldt State. The Hawks are led offensively by junior opposite Rachael Vartanian and sophomore outside hitter Katie Lopez, who have both notched 29 kills on the season. Senior outside hitter Siera Taylor and junior middle blocker Jessica Pena were both instrumental in the team's victory over Dominican, posting attack percentages of .538 and .421, respectively.

UNVEILING THE URBAN KNIGHTS

Academy of Art enters the Route 92 Showdown with a record of 2-2. Taking part in the Otter Classic (hosted by Cal State Monterey Bay) last weekend, the Urban Knights swept their Friday doubleheader by beating Dominican and Maryville. Saturday was less successful for Academy of Art, as the team dropped its matches to Alaska-Anchorage and Minnesota State-Mankato. Senior outside hitter Angela Heath leads the Urban Shockers with 47 kills and 61 digs for the young season. Sophomore middle blocker Lindsay Elgin has also been a standout, pacing the squad with a .300 attack percentage to go along with 17 total blocks. Freshman Taylor Suchy has been a nice addition as well, adding 44 kills of her own. The Urban Knights have been particularly strong up front, out-blocking their opponents 35-19 so far. Cal State East Bay defeated Academy of Art 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-18) when the two teams met to open the 2011 season.

CONSIDERING THE CRUSADERS

Northwest Nazarene began its season down in San Diego at the Seaside Invitational, winning its first three matches before dropping the finale to Azusa Pacific. The Crusaders (3-1) defeated Cal State Stanislaus, Point Loma Nazarene, and Cat State Dominguez Hills, dropping just one set in the process. Now the Crusaders will look to start a new winning streak heading into the Route 92 Showdown. Northwest Nazarene is led by a core of veterans, including senior middle blockers Becky Flores (team-leading 50 kills) and Heather Allen (.433 attack percentage, 34 kills). Sophomore setter Michelle Terpstra is off to an impressive start as well, totaling 132 assists in the team's first four matches. Coming off a 17-8 season in 2011, the Crusaders were picked to finish fifth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference this year.

LEARNING ABOUT THE LANCERS

Cal Baptist enters the weekend with a record of 2-1, having opened up its season at the Humboldt State Tournament. The Lancers swept Holy Names on Friday afternoon, and then split their Saturday doubleheader by defeating host Humboldt State, then losing the nightcap to Chico State. After going 27-10 in 2011, Cal Baptist was picked to finish third in the PacWest this season. The Lancers are led by Ingrid Carmona, recently voted as the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year. The senior opposite currently leads Cal Baptist with 45 kills so far this season. Also off to a hot start for the Lancers are senior Faith Steinwedell, who leads the team with a .286 attack percentage and 41 digs, and junior setter Taylor Parker, who has racked up 111 assists in three matches for a 10.09 set average.