LA JOLLA, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team pulled off a crucial comeback victory on the road Saturday evening, upsetting UC San Diego in five sets at RIMAC Arena. 

East Bay's 14th victory of the regular season came after trailing 2-1 through the first three sets. It snapped a four-match losing streak and evened up the team's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) record at 7-7.

UCSD out-hit the Pioneers .185 to .160 for the match, but it was truly a back-and-forth affair, with each of the first four sets ending in a one-sided score.

East Bay looked outstanding in the first set, holding the Tritons to an .036 hitting percentage. With the score tied early, Lindsey Ray served the Pioneers to an 8-1 scoring run. They closed the frame on a 5-0 run to secure a 25-15 blowout victory.

The momentum flipped immediately and starkly, however. UCSD's offense woke up after game one, and the home team powered its way to 25-16 and 25-13 wins in the next two frames. The Tritons posted hitting percentages of .486 and .394 in those two sets, making just two total attack errors to grab a 2-1 advantage in the match.

Facing a potential fourth straight CCAA loss, the Pioneers showed tremendous toughness and focus in the fourth game and refused to roll over. Trailing 10-9 in the early going, CSUEB secured nine of the next 10 points to grab a commanding lead, and then they closed out yet another blowout win on a 5-1 run.

That trend did not continue into the fifth set, as the teams finally played a tight game against each other. The teams traded sides with the score 8-7, then the Tritons grabbed a 10-8 lead before East Bay won four of the next five points. Then with the deciding set tied 12-12, the Pioneers won three straight points to steal the match. 

Deja Thompson and Julie Navarro combined on a block to clinch the victory, the 11th block of the night for East Bay. Thompson led the way in that category, topping all players in the match with seven total blocks. She had an outstanding performance all-around with 12 kills, three service aces, and a .273 hitting percentage.

Fellow middle blocker Kathy McKiernan also had an impressive evening. She matched Thompson's 12 kills, added three blocks, and made just one attack error for a .306 hitting percentage. 

Junior Kiki Leuteneker tallied a team-best 15 kills on 45 attempts, and she scooped out a season-high 17 digs for her fifth double-double of the year. 

Katie Ireland racked up 30 assists, 20 digs, and four kills as East Bay's primary setter, while freshman Audrey Lamoureux added 14 assists and seven digs off the bench. Brandi Brucato and Ray anchored the Pioneer defense in the back row, totaling 22 and 20 digs, respectively.

With tonight's comeback, as well as the team's earlier victory over Sonoma State, East Bay has shown it can beat any team in the conference. The key to their success over the final two weeks and into the postseason will be whether the Pioneers can reach that level on a consistent basis.

The final two road matches of the regular season are on the slate for next weekend, as CSUEB returns to the Bay Area to visit SF State and Sonoma State on Friday and Saturday evenings.