HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team has now won four straight matches after pulling off yet another comeback victory on Wednesday night, defeating Humboldt State in five sets (25-23, 20-25, 24-26, 25-16, 15-12).

After falling behind 2-1, the Pioneers ran away with the fourth set and managed to outlast the Jacks in the fifth to send the crowd at Pioneer Gym home happy. Of the four victories during the team's current win streak, three have required East Bay to rally back from a deficit and win in five sets.

Humboldt led most of the way in the opening frame behind impressive attacking from Nicole Bewley. The Pioneers trailed 20-16 late, but they finished strong, coming back to win nine of the final 12 points to steal the set and take a 1-0 lead.

The Jacks returned the favor in game two. Again they clung to a narrow lead most of the way, but this time they were able to finish off the set to even the match.

Following intermission, the Pioneers came out hot and jumped out to a 7-3 advantage in game three. They led 23-17 and looked to be in excellent position to take the lead in the match, but the Jacks pulled off an improbable rally, winning nine of out 10 points to grab the momentum and the win.

Fortunately, the Pioneers didn't let that mini-collapse derail their focus. Head coach Jim Spagle slotted defensive specialist Darlene Lee into the starting lineup, and East Bay stepped up its defense, holding HSU to a .100 hitting percentage in each of the final two sets. The Pioneers made just four attack errors in the fourth set and pulled away for a nine-point win to even the match at 2-2.

The home team jumped out to 5-1 lead in the deciding set, getting the crowd into it and forcing a Humboldt timeout. The Jacks refused to roll over, however, and rallied back to keep the score tight. They changed sides with East Bay up 8-6, and the Pioneers still clung to a 13-12 lead with the match on the line. On the next serve, setter Katie Ireland went over on two and found open space on the court for her eighth kill of the night, a season high for the sophomore. With East Bay at match point, the Jacks set to the left side for their leading scorer Hayden Symone, looking to stay alive. But sophomore Julie Navarro was right there for the Pioneers and slammed home a solo block to seal the victory.

Navarro finished the night with nine kills and five digs. Ireland went errorless on 15 attack attempts, posting a .533 hitting percentage to go along with 21 digs and a match-high 43 assists.

Kiki Leuteneker led CSUEB with 15 kills and posted a double-double with 13 scoops. Fellow sophomore and reigning CCAA Player of the Week Deja Thompson filled up the scoresheet 13 kills, eight digs, and four total blocks.

Defensively, the Pioneers racked up 102 digs after entering the match ranked No. 5 in the nation in digs per set. Five players reached double figures on this night, led by Brandi Brucato with 27. Lee posted 11, and Cassidy Caton tallied 12 to go along with four kills and three aces.

The four-match winning streak is the longest for the Pioneers since 2013. It also lifts their record over the .500 mark at 10-9 for the season at 6-5 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play. East Bay is now tied for third place in the North Division, right in the middle of a tight bunch of five teams fighting for three postseason spots. 

The Pioneers now have two more crucial divisional contests upcoming this weekend as they hit the road to visit San Francisco State on Friday night and Sonoma State on Saturday night.