HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team improved to 8-0 at Pioneer Gymnasium on Tuesday evening, defeating Hawaii Hilo in straights sets in the squad's final non-conference match of the season.
The Pioneers ran their overall record to 12-5, putting them just one victory shy of matching last year's total. The Vulcans drop to 7-8 for the season after seeing their three-match winning streak snapped.
East Bay was in control nearly the entire evening, out-hitting Hilo .205 to .080 and forcing 23 Vulcan attack errors. The Pioneers also took advantage of shaky serve-receive defense, racking up nine service aces.
The most dramatic part of the match came in the first half of game two, when Hilo traded points back-and-forth with the Pioneers and kept the score tight as they looked to draw things even. The Vulcans led 14-12 at one point, but despite East Bay hitting just .056 as a team in the frame, the Pioneers slowly climbed back. They won four straight points to take the lead, then closed the set on a 5-0 run.
Deja Thompson was a force in the middle, pacing the Pioneers offensively for the second straight contest. She tallied 12 kills and two blocks to go along with a team-high .435 hitting percentage. Fellow middle blocker
Kathy McKiernan was also impressive, hitting .350 with eight kills and two solo blocks.
Kiki Leuteneker and
Lindsey Ray added seven kills apiece for the home team. Ray, who entered the match as the CCAA leader in service aces, posted four more aces on Tuesday to lead the team.
Katie Ireland recorded yet another double-double, totaling 31 assists and 11 digs in the three-set match. Senior
Brandi Brucato had a typically strong performance in the back row, leading all players with 15 digs.
The Pioneers remain in second place in the CCAA North Division, and will put their 5-3 conference record on the line this weekend with a pair of hugely significant road matches at North rivals Chico State and Stanislaus State.
