MONMOUTH, Ore. — The Cal State East Bay volleyball team came up short on both ends of its doubleheader at the Western Oregon Invitational on Friday. The Pioneers (0-4) dropped a five-set heartbreaker to Metro State in the morning match before falling in three sets to Minnesota State-Mankato in the nightcap. East Bay now has a week off before they co-host the Route 92 Showdown next weekend, a tournament that will feature four more tough matches for the Pioneers as they search for their first victory of 2013.

Metro State 3, CSUEB 2 (22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 18-25, 15-8)

Friday's first match against Metro State was the best the Pioneers have played in the young season, but it wasn't quite enough to come out on top.  It started well, as East Bay hit .310 as a team in the first set and was able to outlast the Roadrunners in a back-and-forth game. Consecutive kills by seniors Kitona Offord and Hannah Bell secured the three-point win and put the Pioneers briefly ahead 1-0.

Metro State came back and won the next two sets to capture the match's momentum. CSUEB scored four straight points to grab a 20-19 lead in the second set, but they proceeded to lose the next five points as the set slipped away from them. The teams traded scoring runs in the third set, and senior Suzy Ni Xu's ace gave the Pioneers a 19-18 lead. However, the Roadrunners once again finished the set strong, winning eight of the final 11 points to go up 2-1.

The Pioneers had everything rolling offensively in the fourth set, as they bounced back to even the match. Tied 16-16, East Bay closed out the game on a 9-2 run and ended up out-hitting Metro State .310 to .111 in the frame.

They had a chance to complete the comeback in the fifth set, but Metro State pulled away after the teams traded sides to secure the victory. For the match, the Pioneers were bested slightly in hitting percentage, .228 to .216. It was a bit of a sloppy contest from the service line, as the teams combined to commit 31 service errors (16 for CSUEB, 15 for Metro).

Xu led all players with 15 kills and committed just one attack error, good for a .452 hitting percentage. Offord turned in an efficient effort, notching nine kills and hitting .533. Bell posted the match's only double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs.

Senior Brittany Dominguez had six kills and three total blocks in the middle. Outside hitters Amber Hall and Katie Allen totaled five and two kills respectively, with Allen adding three total blocks. Setter Ashia Joseph racked up 36 assists, while Veronica Sanchez led all players with 19 digs. The junior libero also had a team-high four service aces.

Minnesota State, Mankato 3, CSUEB 0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-16)

The Pioneers entered the final match of the tournament hoping to grab their first won of the season and leave the state of Oregon on a high note. Minnesota State had other plans, however, and the Mavericks controlled the match from the outset. As a team they out-hit East Bay .341 to .199 and out-paced them in total kills 45 to 19.

The first two sets of the match were not as one-sided as the final totals made it seem, however. In the first, the teams were tied 19-19, but the Mavericks were able to prevail down the stretch. After Dominguez notched a kill to draw within one at 22-21, Minnesota State finished off the set with three straight kills.

The second set was even tighter, as neither team ever led by more than three points. Once again, it was tied near the end, but the Pioneers couldn't get the points they needed in crunch time. With the score knotted 22-22, Minnesota State captured three of the final four points and grabbed a commanding 2-0 advantage in the match.

The final set was a bit one-sided. The Pioneers actually improved their offensive efficiency, committing only one attack error.  But they had no answer for the Mavericks, who posted a .517 hitting percentage in the final frame. They jumped out to an early 6-3 and never looked back, continuing to tack on points and ultimately winning comfortably.

The Pioneers faced some outstanding competition, and several players, particularly Xu, turned in impressive performances in the WOU tournament. But ultimately it was a frustrating weekend for East Bay, and the team returns to Hayward still in search of its first victory.

Offord notched five kills to lead the team in the final match, hitting at a .500 clip. Dominguez added four kills to go along with two total blocks. Hall and Xu each posted three kills apiece. Sanchez had two kills and five digs. Joseph and freshman setter Aimee Kyed each tallied seven assists, while sophomore libero Angie Maina led all players with 11 digs.