HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team came up short on "Senior Night" at Pioneer Gymnasium, losing in straight sets on Saturday to visiting Cal State San Bernardino, which entered the week at the No. 127 ranked team in the nation (22-25, 22-25, 17-25). 

An upset win would've clinched a postseason spot for the Pioneers, but instead they'll have to wait until Tuesday for a chance to secure their first ever berth in the CCAA Tournament. With the top four teams in each division qualifying, East Bay is currently tied for third in the North with Stanislaus State with a league record of 8-8. Humboldt State is still alive at 6-10, but any loss by the Jacks or win by the Pioneers in the final two matches will eliminate HSU. 

Despite the sweep, tonight's match was extremely tight statistically. The Pioneers (12-12, 8-8 CCAA) actually finished with more kills than the Coyotes (19-4, 13-2 CCAA) with a 39-27 advantage, but they hit just .106 for the match. Meanwhile, CSUSB edged East Bay in digs (63-60) and blocks (9-6).

East Bay had a good chance to win each of the first two sets, but ultimately San Bernardino made the plays at the end when it counted. The Pioneers led the first game 20-16 after leading most of the way, but the visitors closed the set on a 9-2 run to steal a 1-0 lead in the match.

The second game was tight all the way through, and eventually tied 21-21. The Pioneers had a chance to even up the match, but the Coyotes proceeded to win three straight points to take the lead, then closed out the set on a kill by Malika O'Brien. CSUSB then jumped out to an early advantage in the third frame, and the Pioneers couldn't muster a rally as the first-place Coyotes secured the sweep. 

Kiki Leuteneker led all players in the match with 13 kills to go along with seven digs. Deja Thompson also reached double-digit kills, finishing with 11 along with a team-high three total blocks. Cassidy Caton and Julie Navarro added five kills apiece.

Katie Ireland tallied 31 assists and 13 digs for her 22nd double-double. Brandi Brucato paced the squad with 15 scoops as the libero, and Darlene Lee added nine digs in her final home match.

Saturday's contest was preceded by the annual "Senior Night" ceremony to honor the careers of seniors Lee, Taylor Elliott, and Aimee Kyed, all of whom saw action in the home finale.

The Pioneers now look ahead to a huge week as they attempt to clinch a postseason berth. They hit the road to take on Cal State Monterey Bay Tuesday evening, followed by Humboldt State Thursday night to close out the regular season.