HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay volleyball team pulled off an epic comeback Tuesday evening in Pioneer Gymnasium, erasing an 0-2 deficit to defeat visiting Stanislaus State in five sets. 

Notching a crucial win for their standing in the CCAA North Division, the Pioneers are now 3-4 in conference play after evening the season series with the Warriors.

The teams were evenly-matched offensively, as Stanislaus edged East Bay in team hitting percentage, .245 to .239. But after a rocky start, the Pioneer hitters found their groove and the defense stepped up mightily. The Pioneers out-blocked the Warriors 11-4 for the night, and their back line did not allow a single service ace.

It didn't look good early for East Bay, despite a enthusiastic crowd at Pioneer Gym for "Taco Tuesday" night. They made 11 attack errors in the opening set and hit just .026 as the Warriors cruised to a 25-14 win. The Pioneers bounced back in game two and held a lead in the frame, but the visitors went on a huge run, winning seven of the final eight points to steal the set.

Despite two frustrating games, East Bay kept fighting hard coming out of intermission. The third set was extremely tight the entire way, but this time it was the home team that went on a late run. Trailing 18-15, Natahlee Wilson served the Pioneers to eight straight points as they took over the lead, then finished off the victory on a kill by Lindsey Ray to force a fourth frame.

That momentum in the match flipped at that point. East Bay led nearly the entire way in game four, holding the Warriors to a .178 hitting percentage (their second straight set under .200) as the Pioneers won again to force a fifth set.

The home team didn't trail in game five either, as Pioneer Gym got louder and louder with the fans smelling victory. Once again it was Lindsey Ray delivering the final blow, notching her team-high 15th kill of the night to end the match.

Ray also tallied 17 digs, one of four Pioneers to reach double figures in that category during the five-set marathon. Kiki Leuteneker added 14 kills and 11 scoops, and Tiana Weeks notched eight kills, her second-highest total of the year. Setter Katie Ireland filled up the scoresheet impressively, recording a rare triple-double with 10 kills, 41 assists, and 15 digs. 

In the middle, Kathy McKiernan totaled 10 kills and four blocks, while fellow senior Deja Thompson hit .444 with nine kills and five blocks.

With two straight wins under their belts, the Pioneers will look to keep this positive momentum going when they travel across the Bay to SF State for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Gators this Saturday.