GOLDEN, Colo. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team was on the losing end of both its matches on Saturday to close out the opening weekend of the regular season at the Oredigger Classic. Playing their second straight doubleheader in the Rocky Mountain altitude, the Pioneers were bested by Sioux Falls in the first match and No. 12 ranked Palm Beach Atlantic in the second, with both contests lasting four sets. 

East Bay turned in a solid performance to start the day against a strong opponent, hitting .242 and topping the Cougars in kills, 60 to 57. But Sioux Falls took advantage of nine service aces  and turned in an impressively efficient effort with just 16 attack errors in the entire match.

The Pioneers won the first set in exciting fashion, as they trailed nearly the entire way. After a late rally, CSUEB grabbed a one-point lead, then both teams had a shot at match point before the Pioneers won three straight to win it on a kill by Kiki Leuteneker and two straight by Deja Thompson. 

Unfortunately, that was the high point of the afternoon, as Sioux Falls bounced back to win game two, never trailing in the frame. The Cougars then squeaked out narrow victories over the Pioneers in the final two sets.

Leuteneker and Lindsey Ray led the way with 18 kills each in the first match of the day. Kathy McKiernan added seven and Tiana Weeks tallied six. Katie Ireland turned in a strong offensive performance with 46 assists and five kills on eight attack attempts.

The final match of the weekend saw East Bay taking on perhaps the best team at the tournament. In a remarkably back-and-forth contest, No. 12 Palm Beach Atlantic, which last year finished 26-4 and reached the NCAA South Regional semifinals, won to finish off an undefeated weekend. 

Neither team was particularly efficient in their fourth match in two days, but the first set was nonetheless dramatic. After East Bay jumped out to an early lead, the Sailfish rallied back, and it was extremely tight the rest of the way until PBA finally won three straight to take the set, 30-28, in extra points.

It was more of the same early in the second set, but then the Pioneers went on a massive run. Cassidy Caton served 10 straight points as CSUEB turned a 9-9 tie into a 19-10 advantage, highlighted by three Leuteneker kills, before they closed out the easy victory. 

But with the match even at 1-1, the Sailfish got their revenge in game three. East Bay continued their momentum from the previous set early and led nearly the entire way. PBA trailed 20-12 at one point, but rallied back and rattled off a 7-0 run to take the lead, then held on for a narrow 26-24 win.

The fourth frame wasn't quite as dramatic, as the Sailfish opened up a big lead midway through, and held on to close out the match.

The Pioneers struggled on the attack overall, hitting .150 and totaling just 45 kills for the the contest. Leuteneker, McKiernan, and Ray each finished with 11 kills to pace the squad. Thompson added five, and she and Leuteneker both had four total blocks.

Libero Natahlee Wilson racked up 23 digs in the loss, while setter Katie Ireland had 34 assists and 12 digs for her third double-double of the weekend.

Ray was one of just eight players at the Oredigger Classic named to the All-Tournament Team. The senior averaged 3.56 kills and 2.75 digs per set with a .275 hitting percentage and 10 blocks.