POMONA, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team rallied back from down 0-2 to force a fourth set, but ultimately fell on the road to Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday night (19-25, 12-25, 25-21, 19-25).
The Broncos out-hit the Pioneers .331 to .149, besting the visitors 63 to 40 in total kills and taking advantage of six service aces.
Pomona was in control through the first two sets and had a great deal of success on the attack. After the teams traded points to start the match, the Broncos went on a four-point run, followed by a five-point run midway through the opening frame to pull away from the Pioneers.
The home team kept its momentum into the second game, opening the set on a 10-2 run. They posted a remarkable .467 attack percentage and grabbed a 2-0 advantage heading into intermission.
Despite the one-sided loss in game two, East Bay didn't lie down in the third set. The finally found some offensive rhythm, riding a strong performance by
Michaela Gardner, who tallied seven kills in the frame. The Pioneers hit .286 and held off Pomona to extend the match to a fourth set.
The fourth frame was tight most of the way, but once again the Pioneers weren't able to overcome Pomona's attack efficiency. The Broncos hit .395 as team and pulled away late to secure the victory.
Gardner led the way for East Bay with a .280 attack percentage and 19 kills, one shy of her season high.
Kiki Leuteneker added nine kills on the outside to go along with a pair of block assists. Fellow freshman
Julie Navarro posted five kills.
Senior
Angie Maina led all players in the match with 21 digs, adding to her conference-leading total.
Darlene Lee scooped out nine balls and scored two kills.
Kylie Fraga paced the squad with 22 assists, the majority of which came in CSUEB's third set victory. Fellow setter
Veronica Fabiano totaled 11 assists and notched the team's only service ace of the night.
Led by 16 kills from Kristin Hamlin, the Broncos improve to 12-9 overall and 8-5 in the CCAA. The team notched the 400th career victory for head coach Rosie Wegrich.
East Bay (4-17, 2-11 CCAA) now has Friday off to travel north before visiting rival Cal State Monterey Bay for a 7 p.m. contest on Saturday, Oct. 24.
