SAN MARCOS, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team dropped its third straight contest on Friday, losing on the road to Cal State San Marcos in four sets.

The Pioneers fall to 13-9 for the season and 6-7 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), falling below .500 in conference play for the first time this season. East Bay is now 3-6 on the road overall.

The Cougars ranked as one of the CCAA's top defensive squads entering the weekend, and that proved accurate as they held the Pioneers to a .145 hitting percentage. East Bay hit .389 in the one set in which they were victorious, but the team struggled badly with attack efficiency in the other three frames.

In all three of those San Marcos set wins, the Pioneers kept things tight until the Cougars eventually went on a scoring run to grab an advantage. And in all three cases, the visitors were unable to rally back. The one exception was game three, when East Bay notched a 25-18 win while facing the prospect of a sweep defeat. In that third game, the Pioneers went on a 5-0 midway through the set to turn a 12-9 defict into a 14-12 lead. CSUEB then finished the frame on a 5-1 run to extend the match.

Ultimately, the Cougar front line was too strong, as the home team racked up 11 blocks. CCAA leader Faith Fortune topped all players with six total blocks in the contest.

Deja Thompson led the way for East Bay with 14 kills, but she hit just .182 with eight attack errors. Lindsey Ray was the team's most efficient hitter, posting a team-high .225 percentage and 13 kills. The sophomore also tallied 17 digs for a double-double.

Senior Brandi Brucato led all players in the match with 18 digs, and she also paced the Pioneers with three service aces. Katie Ireland (19 assists, eight digs) and Audrey Lamoureux (25 assists, six digs) split the setting duties as the Pioneers tallied 49 assists on 53 kills. 

Kiki Leuteneker totaled nine kills, Julie Navarro and Kathy McKiernan added six apiece, and Tiana Weeks notched five, but as a group the CSUEB attackers struggled to get into rhythm offensively.

The road gets no easier for East Bay, as they return to action Saturday evening at 7 p.m. when the visit RIMAC Arena to try to end their skid against UC San Diego.