CHICO, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team snapped its losing skid in emphatic fashion on Saturday evening, notching a dominant road victory over Chico State in straight sets.

Traditionally a very difficult venue in which to win, the Pioneers quieted the crowd at Acker Gymnasium to earn their second California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) win of the season and improve to 6-8 overall. Although it's still fairly early in the schedule, this was a crucial victory for the Pioneers to keep pace in the North Division.

The opening set was an epic, back-and-forth affair in which the lead changed hands several times. The Pioneers fought off set point four different times as play extended, the last of which came on a kill by Lindsey Ray to even the score 28-28. After a Chico attack error gave East Bay its second chance at set point, Ray recorded a service ace to secure a thrilling 30-28 win.

The Pioneers snatched momentum following their triumph in game one, and won the second second set in stunningly dominant fashion. They opened the frame on a 10-0 run and wound up hitting .476 as a team, needing just 21 total attack attempts to win the set 25-8. They held Chico to just six kills, while the home team made nine attack errors.

The Wildcat hitters bounced back closer to form in game three as they traded scoring runs with the Pioneers, but CSUEB was able to pull away down the stretch to finish off the sweep with a 25-20 win.

East Bay out-hit Chico .309 to .164 for the night, as the Pioneers looked more like the squad that won nine straight sets at the West Region Crossover tourney than the one that started CCAA play 1-4.

They were led by efficient performances from seniors Kiki Leuteneker (12 kills, .375 pct), Kathy McKiernan (eight kills, .389 pct) and Deja Thompson (six kills, .333 pct) on the attack. Ray added eight kills and tallied four of the team's seven service aces. 

Defensively, McKiernan and Tiana Weeks paced the squad with four total blocks each, as CSUEB bested Chico 10-2 for the evening in that category. Setter Katie Ireland led the way with eight digs to go along with 31 assists.

Next up, the Pioneers finally return home for a midweek contest and a re-match with Friday's opponent, Stanislaus State. East Bay hosts the Warriors at 6 p.m. Tuesday evening, during which CSUEB is partnering with ASI for a free tailgate in the gym lobby. In addition, the first 50 fans receive a free "Pack the House" t-shirt.