Box Score HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team was defeated by visiting Cal Poly Pomona in four sets to close out the 2014 regular season on Saturday night (15-25, 25-27, 25-22, 21-25). The Pioneers finish the season 10-17 overall with a 9-7 record at home and a mark of 7-15 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) competition.

The match featured one of the largest crowds of the fall and was preceded by a ceremony to honor the four Pioneers seniors who were playing their final collegiate match.

The Broncos grabbed the momentum in the first set, jumping out to a 10-3 lead and never looking back. East Bay posted a negative attack percentage in the frame and was never able to make a comeback as CPP picked up an easy win in game one.

The Pioneers played much better in the second set as they looked to even the match. This time, when Pmona made a 5-0 run, CSUEB countered right back with four straight points to re-take the lead. The set was extemely tight from start to finish, but the Pioneers looked to be in good position after Samantha Bruno scored a kill to give them a 25-24 lead. Unfortunately, the Broncos recorded a block to extend the frame, and then notched two straight points to steal the game and take a commanding 2-0 lead.

East Bay refused to be swept following the intermission, and stepped up their play yet again. The Pioneers held Pomona to an .024 hitting percentage in game three. They went on a 4-0 run to grab a 23-18 lead and held off CPP's last rally, as the home team extended the match and brought the Pioneer faithful to their feet. 

The epic Senior Night comeback was not to be, however. After East Bay scored the first four points of the fourth set, Pomona rallied back and won 10 of the next 11. The Pioneers never recovered from that and were unable to make a late comeback as the Broncos held on for the victory.

"We lacked that extra juice we needed to win a tough CCAA match tonight, and we had too many unforced errors" said head coach Jim Spagle. "It was a crazy roller coaster of a match, and we tried to hang on and pull out a win, but it just wasn't meant to be tonight."

Bruno had one of her best matches of the season to close out her career, leading the team with 15 kills and posting a .286 attack percentage. Fellow senior Amber Hall notched 10 kills, nine digs, and a pair of blocks.

Senior Ashia Joseph was impressive for the second straight night, racking up 38 assists, 13 digs, and three aces along with five kills and a .400 hitting percentage. 

Kiani Rayford reached double figures in kills with 11, while fellow freshman Micah Hammond posted five kills and a team-high three blocks. 

Libero Angie Maina tallied 26 digs and five assists to close out a strong junior season in the back row. Brandi Brucato and Veronica Sanchez totaled six and five scoops, respectively. 

SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS
"I am extremely humbled and grateful to have had the opportunity to coach all four of these young women," said Spagle. "I will follow them from afar as they continue to attack life with the same gusto I have witnessed on a daily basis in this gym!"

Samantha Bruno has been a starter at Cal State East Bay for four seasons, playing in 105 total matches. She holds the school's all-time career record for total blocks with 258, and she ranks eighth in program history with 738 kills. This year, Bruno ranks second on the team and top-20 in the CCAA with 2.71 kills per set. She reached 16 kills twice this season, which was a career high for a single match. A native of Portland, Ore., Bruno is pursuing a degree in human development. 

Amber Hall has played two seasons for the Pioneers after transferring from Feather River College. She has competed in all 57 of the team's matches, racking up 544 kills and 424 digs. As a senior, Hall has been Cal State East Bay's top attacker. She leads the team in scoring and ranks fifth in the CCAA with 3.41 kills per set. She's also second on the team with 228 digs and third with 21 service aces. Hall has recorded double-digit kills in 22 matches this season, including 11 in a row to finish the season. A native of Redding, Calif., she's working towards her degree in kinesiology.

Ashia Joseph has made a huge impact for the Pioneers at setter, playing 57 matches in two seasons after transferring here from College of Southern Idaho. She has led the team in assists each of the last two years, and she finished her career fifth on the school's all-time list with 1,854 career assists. As a senior, she leads the CCAA with 38 service aces and has averaged 2.32 digs per set to go along with 8.55 assists per set. Originally from Hilo, Hawaii, Joseph is pursuing a degree in kinesiology.

Veronica Sanchez joined the Pioneers after one season at Yakima Valley Community College and has competed in 84 matches for East Bay over the last three seasons. A libero/defensive specialist, she has recorded the second-most digs in school history with 1,266 for her career. As a sophomore, she set a program record with 39 digs in a match against SF State. As a junior, she led the CCAA in digs per set (5.43) and earned Second Team All-CCAA honors. A native of Selah, Wash., Sanchez is pursuing her degree in communications.