LOS ANGELES -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team entered Saturday's match at Cal State L.A. on a remarkable streak in which 10 of the previous 11 contests ended in three sets. That streak came to a dramatic end as the Pioneers erased an 0-2 deficit, fought off four match points in the third set, and came all the way back ti defeat the Golden Eagles in a thrilling five-set marathon.

Just 24 hours after the low point of the 2016 season -- a 3-0 loss at Cal State Dominguez Hills in which nearly every aspect of CSUEB's play was deficient -- the Pioneers dug deep and picked up their best win of the season against a team that entered with a 6-1 record in conference matches.

Overall, the match was incredible tight as the teams finished with identical .231 attack percentage and Cal State L.A. held a slight edge in total kills (68 to 67) and digs (89 to 85). Every set in the epic match was decided by two or three points. 

After falling behind, the Pioneers hit over .300 in each of the last three frames and didn't make a single attack error in the exciting fifth game. They also managed to overcome 14 service errors in the contest.

Four Pioneer attackers finished with double-digit kills, led by Kiki Leuteneker who matched her season high with 19. She was also one of five players notching double figures in digs with 15.

Back line defense continued to be a strength for East Bay, particularly near the end. Brandi Brucato led the way with 22 digs, Darlene Lee posted 13, and Cassidy Caton had 11 for a CSUEB squad that entered the weekend ranked No. 3 in the nation in digs per set.

Strong play in the middle was also a huge key to the comeback, especially in the third set. Kathy McKiernan had one of her most impactful matches of the season on the attack, racking up 11 kills and a .429 attack percentage to go along with a team-high five blocks. Taylor Elliott matched her with 11 kills, hitting .276 with four blocks. 

Setter Katie Ireland filled up the scoresheet with 51 assists and 15 scoops, and she was one of of three East Bay players with a pair of service aces. Ireland matched a season high with seven kills and made just one attack error.

Trailing 0-2 and staring down a winless road trip and a frustrating flight home, the Pioneers fell behind early in game three. They went on a 5-0 run to tie the score 15-15, but Cal State L.A. grabbed momentum back and took a 24-20 lead as they looked to complete the sweep.

Cal State East Bay faced four consecutive match points, but they refused to die, as Lee served them to five straight points and a 25-24 lead. After the Golden Eagles tied it 25-25, McKiernan slammed home back-to-back kills to win the set and extend the match.

The fourth game was a test of CSUEB's will, as they grabbed a lead on multiple occasions, only to see the Golden Eagles come back and tie it. The Pioneers led 17-11 at one point, but a scoring run by the home team made it 20-20. Once again, East Bay was able to eke out a two-point victory, and once again a kill by McKiernan scored the final point.

The Pioneers seemed to have all the momentum heading into the fifth set, but it was only fitting on this night that the final frame was also incredibly close. East Bay jumped out to a 8-5 lead, but CSULA rallied back to tie it 9-9. That's when Deja Thompson, who had been limited to just seven kills total in the first four games, made her presence felt. Thompson took over down the stretch and scored four of the team's final seven points on kills, finishing the match with 11. 

After Cal State L.A. staved off two match points of their own, Leuteneker made sure the Pioneers completed the comeback. The Hawaii native put some tremendous topspin on a well-placed back line attack to seal the 15-13 win and cue CSUEB's celebration.

The Pioneers improve to 7-9 overall and 3-5 in California Collegiate Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play, keeping them in the playoff hunt in the North Division. The 2016 season has been marked by inconsistency for CSUEB so far, but Saturday's thrilling win against a very good opponent showed just how high this team's ceiling can be. With 10 matches remaining in the regular season, the Pioneers have an opportunity to make the first CCAA postseason run in the program's history, but time will tell whether this squad is up to the task. 

East Bay returns home for three straight matches, starting with a huge divisional matchup against Stanislaus State next Friday, Oct. 14.