HAYWARD, Calif. -- After returning to the national top-25 rankings this week, the Cal State East Bay water polo team returns to action Friday afternoon with a trip to Seaside to battle conference rival Cal State Monterey Bay at 1:00 p.m. It will be the final road game of the regular season for CSUEB.

The No. 25 Pioneers snagged the final spot in this week's Collegiate Water Polo Association poll after claiming a victory in their only contest last week. East Bay went on the road last Saturday and earned a hard-fought 13-9 win over fellow Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) squad Sonoma State.

The Pioneers have been red hot since Valentine's Day, winning six of their last seven and 11 of their last 14 games, dating back to a 9-8 victory over No. 23 Fresno State on Feb. 17. 

Freshman Adrien Van Dyke continued what has been an offensive explosion for the Canadian driver over the last few weeks. She led the team with four goals and five assists against the Seawolves. Van Dyke has 35 goals and 49 points this season, both of which are second-best on the Pioneers.

Cheyenne Pena had a big game against the Seawolves as well, notching a hat trick. Her final two goals came in a clutch spot, with the Pioneers clinging to a 9-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. Pena scored on back-to-back possessions to help the squad pull away for victory.

Sophomore Auriel Bill remains CSUEB's leading scorer after a goal and three assists at SSU. Among WWPA players this year, Bill ranks second in goals (35), tied for first in assists (38), and first in total points (72).

Junior Makenna Nation tallied nine saves and three steals against Sonoma, improving her goalkeeping record to 11-6 in her first season as the starter. Nation currently leads all WWPA goalies with 130 total saves in 2018.

This will be the second meeting of the season between the Pioneers and Otters. East Bay earned a 13-8 win in the designated conference game between the two squads when they battled in Hayward back on Mar. 10.

CSUMB enters this contest with a record of 4-16 and has lost four straight games since falling to the Pioneers last month. The Otters have a quintet of players who have accounted for most of their scoring: Marisa Lovos (24 goals), Lucy Gates (18 goals, 37 steals), Angela Steele (21 goals), Nicole Lyckfors (20 goals), and Morgan Tucker (19 goals).