SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team dropped its first match of Cal State San Bernardino's 2015 Coyote Classic, losing a hard-fought five-set match to Concordia-Irvine (22-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22, 12-15).

The action couldn't have been much tighter as all five sets were tightly contested. After falling behind 2-1 in the match, the Pioneers rallied back to force a deciding frame. Concordia, led by Rachel Flynn's 25 kills and 12 digs, out-hit East Bay .280 to .224 for the match, although both squads had success on the attack.

Junior Darlene Lee led the way for CSUEB with 19 kills, 12 digs, and a .269 hitting percentage. It's the second straight contest in which Lee has been the team's leading scorer.

Sophomore Michaela Gardner notched 16 kills along with eight digs, and freshman Julie Navarro added eight kills. In the middle, Kathy McKiernan and Deja Thompson totaled six and five kills, respectively, and they paced the squad with three blocks each.

Playing in her first match of the season since returning from an injury, sophomore Veronica Fabiano tallied 44 assists and four kills as the team's primary setter. Senior libero Angie Maina racked up 26 digs and finished with a team-high four aces.

The Coyote Classic continues on Friday, Sept. 11 with a pair of matches for the Pioneers. They play Westminster at 12 noon, followed by New Mexico Highlands at 5 p.m.