HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team has just one match scheduled this week as the rain falls in Northern California, but it's a big one. The Pioneers host rival Cal State Monterey Bay Saturday evening, looking to maintain their postseason position in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division.

WEEK IN REVIEW
The Pioneers are back at home this week after seeing their five-match winning streak come to an end last Saturday at Sonoma State. They defeated SF State in four sets Friday night, but fell just short the following evening against the Seawolves in a tight contest.

PLAYOFF HUNT
Under the new playoff format in 2016, four teams from each Division qualify for the CCAA Tournament, and the winner of that determines the CCAA champion and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

With three weeks remaining in the season, Chico State is solidly in first place in the North with a conference record of 10-2. Defending champ Sonoma State's win over East Bay gives them a bit more breathing room in second place at 8-4. The Pioneers are in third at 7-6, just ahead of Stanislaus State (6-6), Cal State Monterey Bay (5-8), and Humboldt State (5-8). 

Each of CSUEB's final five matches is important as the Pioneers look to reach the postseason for the first time since joining the CCAA, but the team's two contests against CSUMB (Oct. 29 and Nov. 8) and the regular season finale at Humboldt State (Nov. 10) in particular will have huge implications in the North standings.

LEADERBOARD WATCH
Kiki Leuteneker had a monster performance last week, racking up 16 kills against the Gators, and a season-high 22 against the Seawolves. Her kill average is up to 3.27 per set for the season, which ranks fifth among all CCAA attackers. Fellow sophomore Deja Thompson totaled 25 kills and seven blocks over the weekend, keeping her in the top-10 in the league in kills. She is also CSUEB's top overall scorer averaging 3.71 points per set.

Sophomore setter Katie Ireland has been one of the top newcomers in the conference this season. She ranks fifth in the CCAA in assists (9.50 per set) and sixth in digs (4.39 per set), and she has also added just over one kill per set with a .316 hitting percentage. Ireland has posted double-doubles in 18 of the team's 20 matches this year, and she nearly recorded a triple-double last week with a season-high eight kills against HSU.

Ireland's offense has been a major key to East Bay's improved attack, but her defense has been nearly as valuable. Along with junior Brandi Brucato (4.96 digs/set) and senior Darlene Lee (3.54 digs/set), the Pioneers have three of the top 12 in the CCAA in digs per frame. As a team, they rank No. 5 in the nation with 19.60 digs per set. 

Kathy McKiernan had a big weekend on the road with 11 kills at SFSU and 10 kills at Sonoma. The sophomore has posted at least a .300 attack percentage in five of the last six matches, moving her up just outside the top-10 in the conference at .270 for the season.

OUTLOOK ON THE OTTERS
The Otters matched East Bay's results last week with a win over SF State and a loss to Sonoma. CSUMB is second in the conference in service aces, but they rank near the bottom of the league in kills and hitting percentage. They have four players averaging at least two kills per set, led by Anela Visecio (2.74 kills/set) and Maddy Underwood (2.60 kills/set). This will be the first meeting of the season between the Pioneers and the Otters, although Monterey is 4-0 this year at Pioneer Gym after sweeping their four matches at the DII West Region Showcase back in September.