HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team was defeated narrowly by visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills in a thrilling five-set match at Pioneer Gymnasium on Friday night (24-26, 25-21, 25-16, 21-25, 10-15). 

The teams combined for 460 attack attempts and 156 digs in an epic, back-and-forth contest that was extremely evenly-matched and featured dozens of long rallies. East Bay hit .116 overall, while the Toros posted a .114 percentage.

Despite the loss, it was a record-breaking night for the Pioneers (3-11, 1-5 CCAA), as two individuals surpassed the program record for digs in a single match. Senior libero Angie Maina racked up 41 scoops to top the previous record of 39, which was held by Veronica Sanchez. Junior Darlene Lee turned in a phenomenal defensive effort and totaled 43 digs to become the program's new record holder.

The Pioneers had a chance to take the first set, which was close the entire way until the score sat tied at 23-23. But a late rally by Dominguez Hills gave the visitors a narrow victory. 

East Bay bounced back to win the next two frames with freshman Kiki Leuteneker leading the way on the attack. But they weren't able to put the match away, stumbling in the game four as the Toros hung on to force a deciding set.

CSUDH never trailed in the final game after taking a 3-0 lead, with the Pioneers unable to make an extended scoring run. The momentum changed hands several times throughout the night, but East Bay found itself on the short end once again as the squad dropped its third straight contest. 

Leuteneker was the Pioneers' leading scorer, posting a double-double with 16 kills and 16 digs to go along with three block assists. Sophomore Kiani Rayford also reached double figures in kills with 11.

In the middle, Kathy McKiernan added eight kills with just one attack error on the night. Fellow freshman Deja Thompson also totaled eight kills and turned in four block assists to lead the team. 

Maina now leads the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in both digs and service aces. She and Lee each notched two aces on this night to go along with their remarkable dig totals. 

Fellow defensive specialist Brandi Brucato tallied 18 scoops, which was one shy of her season high. Setter Kylie Fraga filled up the scoresheet with 46 assists, eight digs, and seven kills on 19 attempts. 

"This team just needs to keep grinding," said head coach Jim Spagle after the match. "Wins are out there on the horizon if they continue to work hard."

Next up, the Pioneers have another tough test ahead of them on Saturday night, Oct. 3, when they welcome in Cal State L.A. to Hayward for a 7 p.m. match.