GOLDEN, Colo. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team opened the 2018 season on Friday with a strong performance at the Oredigger Classic despite playing back-to-back matches in high elevation. The Pioneers defeated Lee University in their first contest, then fell to the hosts, No. 20 Colorado Mines, in the nightcap. Both matches lasted four sets.

East Bay impressed in the opener, out-hitting Lee .266 to .101 overall. They forced the Flames into nine attack errors in the first set and scored five of the final seven points to pull away for a 25-21 win. Lee then bounced back and evened the match, winning game two by an identical score.

But the Pioneers took over in the final two sets, taking both handily with strong play on both sides of the net. The Flames managed just seven kills in the final frame, while the Pioneers racked up 16 to go along with a .324 hitting percentage.

Lindsay Ray was the star of the first match, hitting .333 with a team-high 18 kills. The senior also added 13 digs and three total blocks. Fellow senior outside hitter Kiki Leuteneker was also efficient, tallying 10 kills with just one attack error.

Deja Thompson added 12 kills, while fellow middle blocker Kathy McKiernan paced the squad with six total blocks. Setter Katie Ireland had an impressive performance as well, filling up the scoresheet with 49 assists, 17 digs, and six kills on 11 attempts. 

In the back row, junior Natahlee Wilson wore the libero jersey and notched a match-high 20 kills. Senior Cassidy Caton scooped out 16, as four different Pioneers reached double figures in digs.

CSUEB was back on the court just an hour after the first match ended to take on the nationally ranked Orediggers, who last year reached the second round of the NCAA DII tournament. It didn't go as smoothly as the first contest, but the Pioneers nonetheless played Mines extremely tight through the first three sets. 

Neither squad led by more than two points during the entire first set, but the home team was able to squeak out a two-point win. East Bay out-hit the Orediggers .414 to .189 in game two, but they struggled in both service and serve-receive, allowing Mines to take a four-point advantage late in the set. The Pioneers nearly pulled off a comeback, but the home team won the final two points to quell CSUEB's rally.

Despite trailing 0-2, East Bay was able to keep that offensive momentum going in game three, posting a .353 attack percentage and riding Leuteneker's hot hand to a 25-22 victory.

Unfortunately, they weren't able to force a fifth set. Mines saved its best offensive performance for game four against a tired CSUEB block, racking up 21 kills in a six-point victory to seal the match.

Overall, the Orediggers out-hit East Bay only slightly, .289 to .273. Leutekener led all players in the match with 18 digs, making just two attack errors for a .348 hitting percentage. Thompson also reached double figures again with 11 kills.

Ray was nearly as impressive in the back end of the doubleheader as she was in the front end, tallying 10 kills, 12 digs, and five total blocks. McKiernan matched her with five blocks as well, adding seven kills. 

Ireland notched another double-double with 42 assists, 11 digs, and six more kills on just 10 attempts. Once again, the Pioneers had four players reached double-digit digs, as Wilson led the way with 15 to go along with a team-high three service aces.

CSUEB is back in action Saturday to close out the Oredigger Classic with two more matches. They take on University of Sioux Falls at 12 pm (PT) before battling No. 12 ranked Palm Beach Atlantic at 3 p.m.