HAYWARD, Calif. --- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team will play its final two home matches of the 2013 season this weekend as the Pioneers (11-15, 7-11 CCAA) welcome two of the top teams in the nation into Pioneer Gym. On Friday, they'll do battle with No. 14 Cal State San Bernardino, which has suffered just one defeat in conference play. On Saturday, East Bay will honor this year's senior class prior to taking on No. 12 UC San Diego.

RECAPPING THE WEEK
The Pioneers went 2-1 this past week. They ran their Friday home record to 6-0 with a four-set win over Cal State L.A. on Friday night. Katie Allen had 14 kills and four solo blocks to lead CSUEB, and Samantha Bruno hit .526 with 10 kills. The following night, they completed their first 2-0 home weekend with a four-set victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Pioneers hit .348 as a team in that match, and Allen was dominant, posting 19 kills, five aces, and a .552 attack percentage.

On Tuesday, East Bay visited Cal State Monterey Bay in a midweek contest. For the second time this season, they played an extremely close match with the Otters, and for the second time, they came up just short. Four Pioneers notched double-digit kills in the 3-1 loss, with Bruno and Suzy Ni Xu leading the way with 14 each.

CLIMBING THE RANKS
As a team, East Bay ranks second in the conference in service aces, thanks in large part to Allen, who leads the CCAA averaging 0.41 aces per set. The Pioneers rank fifth in team hitting percentage at .219, led by Bruno, who has come on strong lately and now ranks seventh in the conference at .320. Veronica Sanchez's 5.19 digs per set is good for second in the CCAA, and Ashia Joseph has climbed up to fourth in the conference with 9.86 assists per set.

CELEBRATING THE SENIORS
About 10 minutes prior to Saturday's match against UCSD, the Pioneers will hold a brief ceremony to reocognize the six seniors who will be playing their final home matches at East Bay. All six have had impactful and impressive careers as Pioneers; here are a few highlights:

Hannah Bell transferred to Cal State East Bay last year after an All-American season at Linn-Benton Community College. As a junior, she started every match and ranked third on the team in kills, digs, and total points. This year, Bell is second on the Pioneers averaging 2.14 digs per set. In two seasons, she's played 47 matches while totaling 293 kills and 441 digs. She's pursuing a degree in communications.

Brittany Dominguez joined the Pioneers prior to last season after two years at Walla Walla Community College. In two seasons at Cal State East Bay, she has played in 36 matches as a middle blocker. Dominguez has totaled 108 kills and 51 blocks while posting a .236 hitting percentage. She set a career high with 13 kills and zero attack errors against Alaska on September 13. She'll graduate with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism.

Morgan Hirzel has been a Pioneer for the last three years after transferring from Fullerton College. In her first season, she started all 27 matches, finished as the team's fourth leading scorer with 189 kills, and ranked third on the squad with 60 total blocks. Last year, her senior season was cut short by an injury, but Morgan continued to be an exemplary Pioneer. She served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, earned a CCAA All-Academic award, and is a two-time winner of the Pioneer Spirit Award. The Fullerton native is pursuing a double degree in Hospitality and Tourism and Recreation Management.

Suzy Ni Xu came to East Bay from Iowa Western Community College in 2011, and after red-shirting one year, she has been the Pioneers' leading scorer in each of her two seasons. As a junior, she posted 3.13 kills per set, a .260 attack percentage, and racked up 28 kills in a match against Cal State Monterey Bay, one short of the school record. After the season, she was named CCAA Newcomer of the Year and was a first-team All-Conference selection. In two years, Xu has played in all 55 matches and made 54 starts. She's racked up 617 kills, which ranks 10th on the Pioneers' all-time list. She will graduate with a degree in kinesiology.

Katie Allen came to East Bay as a true freshman in 2010 and made a big impression, finishing as the team's leading scorer in her first season. She was second on the team in kills as a sophomore. Then, after working hard to rehab an injury that cost her the 2012 season, she's East Bay's second-leading scorer again this season, and also leads the conference in service aces. In three years, Katie has played 79 matches and made 77 starts at outside hitter. She ranks 6th in school history with 768 career kills and 8th with 98 aces. She's also racked up 457 digs and 68 blocks, and she'll graduate this year with her B.S. in psychology. 

Finally, Kitona Offord has been a Pioneer since 2009, and in that time she's played in 106 matches. As a junior, she led the team in kills and ranked third in the CCAA with a .350 hitting percentage. She was a second-team All-Conference selection and an All-West Region honoree. After missing 2012 with an injury, she's played every match and led the team in blocks as a senior. K.O. holds the school record with an .882 attack percentage in a 15-kill performance against Cal Poly Pomona in 2010. For her career, she's Cal State East Bay's all-time leader in total blocks with 235. She also ranks seventh all-time with 713 kills and a .268 hitting percentage. Offord will graduate this year with a degree in communications. 

Rank	School	CCAA Record	Pct.	Overall Record
1.	#14 Cal State San Bernardino	16-1	.941	20-5
2.	#12 UC San Diego	14-3	.824	22-3
3.	#16 Sonoma State	15-4	.789	22-5
4.	Cal State Monterey Bay	11-7	.611	17-9
5.	Chico State	10-8	.556	13-12
6.	Cal State L.A.	9-9	.500	14-12
7.	Cal Poly Pomona	9-10	.474	11-16
8.	Cal State East Bay	7-11	.389	11-15
9.	San Francisco State	7-12	.368	12-15
10.	Humboldt State	5-14	.263	10-16
11.	Cal State Stanislaus	4-14	.222	7-19
12.	Cal State Dominguez Hills	2-16	.111	9-17