HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay fall athletics season begins this week with a full slate of home events on the Hayward campus. The Pioneer volleyball team kicks things off first with its season-opening match on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 3 p.m. against Notre Dame de Namur. The Pioneers and Argonauts will then co-host the Route 92 Showdown on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 5-6) for the third straight year.
The 2014 Route 92 Showdown features eight squads competing in 16 matches, with four matches each day at each school. CSUEB will open the tournament by taking on California Baptist at 11:30 a.m., and they'll conclude Friday's action with a match against Academy of Art at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Pioneers square off against Holy Names at 11:30 a.m., and then they close out the weekend with a 7 p.m. contest against conference-rival San Francisco State.
Cal State East Bay is 7-1 all-time in the Route 92 Showdown. They enter the weekend as the defending tournament champions after posting a 4-0 record in 2013. Fresno Pacific claimed the first championship in 2012, edging out the 3-1 Pioneers with a perfect 4-0 mark. East Bay and NDNU last met in 2012, with the Pioneers winning in straight sets.
Visit the
Route 92 Showdown page for a full 2014 schedule as well as information on tickets, parking, and partcipating teams.
PIONEER PREVIEWCal State East Bay finished the 2013 season with an 11-19 record overall and a mark of 7-15 in CCAA play, placing them in a tie for ninth place in the conference. This year, the squad was picked to finish in eighth place in a
preseason poll of the CCAA coaches.
The Pioneers return four starters from last season for their senior years. Outside hitter
Amber Hall posted 2.22 kills/set in her first season in black and red and is expected to start on the outside again in 2014.
Middle blocker
Samantha Bruno has 222 career blocks in three seasons, which ranks second in school history. She needs just 26 blocks this year to break former teammate
Kitona Offord's program record.
Setter
Ashia Joseph (9.73 assist per set) totaled 1,070 assists in 2013, which places her ninth on CSUEB's all-time career rankings. She was the first Pioneer setter to surpass 1,000 assists in a season in over a decade.
Libero
Veronica Sanchez led the CCAA with 5.43 digs/set in conference play last season and was named Second Team All-CCAA. She ranks third in program history with 1,100 digs in two seasons, and she needs just 23 this year to move into second place.
East Bay's 2014 roster also features a strong core of newcomers that includes nine freshmen in addition junior transfer
Megan Johnson. Pioneer fans can expect to see immediate contributions on the court from several freshmen, including libero
Brandi Brucato, setter
Veronica Fabiano, right side hitter
Kiani Rayford, and middle blockers
Jovan Turner and
Micah Hammond.
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