HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team returns home for three straight matches in the next week as they reach the midpoint of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) schedule. The Pioneers have a tough task ahead of them this weekend, as they welcome into Pioneer Gym the top two teams in the North Division, Stanislaus State and Chico State.

Friday's 7 p.m. contest will be preceded by a FREE tailgate outadie Pioneer Gym, spocnsored by Cal State East Bay Associated Students, Inc. 

WEEK IN REVIEW
The Pioneers exhibited both extremes of their potential on last weekend's road trip to Southern California. On Friday, they struggled badly in a 3-0 loss at Cal State Dominguez Hills, hitting .073 and totaling just 26 kills. 

They looked like a different team the following night, however, against a Cal State L.A. squad that entered the night in first place in the South Division. After falling behind 0-2 in a pair of tight games, East Bay faced four straight match points in the third set. They managed to stave off defeat and held on to win the third frame in extra points. The Pioneers then came all the way back to win the final two sets by two points each to earn a thrilling victory.

The Pioneer attackers hit .231 in the win, led by Kiki Leuteneker (19 kills, 15 digs), Kathy McKiernan (11 kills, five blocks, .429 pct.), Taylor Elliott (11 kills, four blocks, .276 pct.), and Deja Thompson (11 kills, seven digs). Setter Katie Ireland also had a huge performance with 51 assists, 15 scoops, and seven kills. 

Cal State East Bay now has a 3-5 record in league play and sits in the midst of a tight race in the North. Just two games seperate five teams from second through sixth place, and the Pioneers are currently just a half game out of a postseason spot. Click here to view the complete CCAA standings.

LEADERBOARD WATCH
The team's dig average fell slightly over the weekend, but the Pioneers still rank No. 5 in the nation in digs per set at 19.88. They have five regulars averaging at least two digs per frame, including two of the top seven in the CCAA.

Junior libero Brandi Brucato is making her stamp on the Pioneer record books in her third season. Over the weekend, she reached 689 career digs, moving her into ninth place in program history.

Leuteneker continues to cement herself as one of the top outside hitters in the conference. Her 19 kills on Saturday matched a season high, and she has reached double figures in six straight matches. Her average is up to 3.25 kills per set, which ranks sixth in the CCAA. She is also among the top 30 in the nation in attacks per set, thanks in part to extra chances created by all the team's digs. 

SCOUTING STANISLAUS
The Warriors are hanging on to second place in the North at 5-3, but they haven't beaten a team with a record over .500 in conference. Blair Erlich, the CCAA leader in kills (4.25 per set), and Taylor Massengale (2.58 kills/set, .289 pct., .65 blocks/set) are the team's top attackers. Stanislaus beat the Pioneers in straight sets when the teams met Sept. 17 in Turlock. East Bay was held to .080 hitting in that match, and Massengale tallied 11 kills without an error.

CHECKING ON CHICO
The Wildcats are solidly in first place in the CCAA North with a 7-1 record, and they're currently on a five-match winning streak since suffering their only conference loss at Humboldt State. Chico leads the CCAA in team kills, aces, assists, and attack percentage. They're led by the top setter in the league in Torey Thompson (10.91 assists/set) and three outstanding attackers in Olivia Mediano (3.54 kills/set), Camryn Rocha (3.27 kills/set), and Kim Wright (2.39 kills/set, .302 pct.). The Wildcats swept the Pioneers 3-0 in Chico back on Sept. 16, a match in which they bested CSUEB 51 to 22 in kills.