HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team notched its seventh straight win on Wednesday night, erasing SF State in straight sets to complete the season sweep of the Gators.
The Pioneers improve to 12-8 overall with an 8-4 record in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play, putting them alone atop of the North Division standings. It's their third straight sweep, giving them a streak of 11 consecutive set victories heading into Seaside this weekend.
After posting a 10-2 record in Pioneer Gymnasium last season, CSUEB has continued that home magic into 2018. Tonight's win puts the squad at 6-1 in home contests with just one remaining on the regular season schedule. They're also 7-1 this year against fellow CCAA North opponents.
None of the three sets against SF State were blowouts, but the Pioneers out-hit the Gators .267 to .147 for the night. That was highlighted by a .371 team hitting percentage in the opening set, and a .317 percentage in game three. East Bay also dominated at the net, topping the Gators 8-2 in total blocks.
The home team led most of the way in each of the first two frames. Although SF State stayed within striking distance, the Pioneers were able to prevent the visitors from going on a big scoring run to flip the momentum. The lone exception to that was in game three, when East Bay jumped out to a 15-7 lead. After a timeout, the Gators won seven straight points to get back in it. But the Pioneers didn't panic, even when they trailed 20-19. Three straight kills by
Lindsey Ray quickly gave East Bay the lead back, and they closed out the match on a block by
Deja Thompson and
Tayler Templeman.
Pretty much every East Bay player in the lineup turned in solid numbers, as the scoring was spread around and the Pioneers played excellent team defense. Templeman and
Kiki Leuteneker each tallied nine kills, while Thompson, Ray, and
Kathy McKiernan finished with eight apiece. Setter
Katie Ireland assisted on 36 of the team's 44 kills.
Five players posted double-digit digs in the back row, with libero
Natahlee Wilson leading the way with 16. Leuteneker added 12, while Ireland, Ray, and
Cassidy Caton dug out 10 each. Ireland reached another career milestone, recording her 1,000th career dig. She's just the sixth player in program history to reach that total, and she's the only Pioneer ever to notch 2,000 assists and 1,000 digs.
Next up, the Pioneers visit Cal State Monterey Bay for a "Battle of the Bays" showdown on Saturday evening that will have first place in the North Division on the line.
