MONMOUTH, Ore. -- After prevailing in consecutive five-set marathons, the Cal State East Bay volleyball team fell just short of its third straight on Friday morning, losing to Seattle Pacific in the team's second match of the DII West Region Showcase.

The Pioneers (4-2) held a 2-1 lead in the match after three frames, but the Falcons (3-3) rallied back to claim decisive victories in the final two games and snap CSUEB's winning streak at four. 

SPU out-hit the Pioneers .185 to .114 overall and bested them in total kills 57-49. It was not a stellar morning for East Bay in terms of offensive efficiency, as they posted a hitting percentage over .103 in just one of the five sets. 

Things looked good for CSUEB, however, in the early going. They dropped a tight first set, as the Falcons maintained a slight lead through most of the game and held on to win 25-23. But East Bay quickly bounced back, making a late run in the game two to seal a 25-20 win and even up the match. The Pioneers held onto that momentum in the third set, as they led nearly the entire way and pulled away in the final points to take the 26-18 victory. 

Unfortunately, SPU made some effective adjustments offensively and the Pioneers couldn't maintain their high level of play to finish off the match. The Falcons jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the fourth set and never looked back, hitting .370 as a team and topping East Bay by a 25-16 score. 

Seattle Pacific carried that over into the decisive game. After the Pioneers briefly led 3-2, the Falcons won five of the next six points to take control, then finished the set on a 5-0 run. SPU boasted a .435 attack percentage in the final frame, while the Pioneers totaled just three kills. 

For the match, setter Katie Ireland filled up the scoresheet with 40 assists, four kills, three aces, and 19 digs. She was one of four Pioneers to reach double figures in digs. That group was led by senior Brandi Brucato, who racked up 22 to give her 1,005 for her career. She is just the fifth player in program history to surpass the 1,000 dig mark. 

Kiki Leuteneker led the way for East Bay with 12 kills, although she hit just .051 for the match. The Hawaii native also tallied 10 digs in the loss for her third straight double-double. 

Middle blockers Deja Thompson (11 kills, .300 pct.) and Kathy McKiernan (9 kills, .200 pct.) both had solid performances offensively. The pair entered the match as the team leaders in blocks, but on this day, Thompson recorded just three total blocks, while McKiernan finished with zero.

CSUEB has show flashes of excellence in the early part of the 2017 season, but consistent execution will be the key to how successful their season will be. With their final two non-conference matches set for Saturday in Oregon, the Pioneers will look to win the battle at the net and start a new winning streak heading into their CCAA schedule.