HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team heads into this week's 2017 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament as hot as any team in the conference as the Pioneers quest to capture their first ever championship.

Following the most successful regular season since 2010, East Bay tallied a 17-10 overall record and went 10-8 in its CCAA schedule. They finished in second place in the North Division, earning the program's second straight postseason berth and a first round match-up with UC San Diego, the No. 3 seed from the South Division. 

The champion of the eight-team tournament will win the CCAA's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Championships. The Pioneers were slotted outside the top 10 in the West Region in this week's NCAA rankings, meaning a tournament title is the squad's only path to a West Regional berth.

FAN VAN
CSUEB Parking Services has sponsored a free "fan van" to SF State for Thursday's 5 p.m. contest. The shuttle bus includes pizza and a game ticket and will depart at 3:30 p.m. from Pioneer Heights. Please email jose-luis.rayas@csueastbay.edu to RSVP. 

Tickets to all CCAA Tournament matches are available for purchase beginning one hour prior to the first match each day at the Main Gym entrance box office. All seating is general admission, and adult tickets can be purchased for $10. Seniors, youth 12 and under, and students with a school ID enter for $5.

WEEK IN REVIEW
The Pioneers closed out the regular season with an extremely impressive performance this past weekend at home. They won all six sets, sweeping Stanislaus State on Friday and Chico State the following night to secure the North's No. 2 seed. 

East Bay's defense was stifling against the Warriors, racking up 12 blocks and holding the visitors to a -.018 hitting percentage. On Senior Night against the Wildcat, the Pioneer offense turned in a dominant effort, hitting .426 with 51 kills in just three games. Deja Thompson led the way with 16 kills, three aces, and a .625 hitting percentage.

FEARSOME FOURSOME
Thompson headlined Wednesday's release of the 2017 All-CCAA Teams, as the junior middle blocker became the first CSUEB player to earn a First Team selection since 2010. She led the Pioneers in kills and blocks for the regular season, ranking as the seventh-leading scorer in the CCAA. Thompson enters the postseason eighth in school history with 766 kills and tied for third with 220 career blocks.

For the second year in a row, Cal State East Bay had four student-athletes capture All-CCAA recognition. Senior Brandi Brucato and junior Kiki Leuteneker were Honorable Mentions for the second straight year, and sophomore Lindsey Ray was named to the Honorable Mention list as well for her first career All-Conference nod. 

Brucato finished sixth in CCAA in digs per set this season. She ranks second on the Pioneers' all-time dig list with 1,384 for her career, and she's tied for seventh with 103 aces. Leuteneker need 13 kills to become just the fourth player in program history to reach 900.

While falling short of All-CCAA recognition, junior Kathy McKiernan enjoyed a breakout season in 2017, ranking fourth in the conference with a .336 hitting percentage. Setter Katie Ireland was impressive down the stretch as well, turning in perhaps her best performance in the season finale with 45 assists and eight digs in three sets. 

SCOUTING UCSD
The Tritons and Pioneers last met on Oct. 28 in RIMAC Arena when East Bay fell behind 2-1 before rallying back to spoil UCSD's Senior Night with a five-set victory. The teams have gone in opposite directions since then, with the Pioneers winning four of their final five contests. UCSD hasn't won since, finishing the regular season on a four-match losing streak to fall back into a tie for third place in the South.

Nevertheless, UCSD is one of the most talented teams in the CCAA and serves as a formidable foe. They have been outstanding defensively, leading the conference in digs, ranking second in blocks, and holding opponents to the lowest hitting percentage of any CCAA school. Outside hitter Amanda Colla (3.71 kills/set, 4.7 digs/set, .213 pct.) is one of the top two-way players in the league, and the Tritons boast a strong tandem in the middle with All-CCAA honorees Jessica Rieble (2.41 kills/set, 1.14 blocks/set) and Micah Hammond (2.48 kills/set, .336 pct.).