SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The 2022 season most likely ended Thursday evening for the Cal State East Bay women's volleyball team, who lost to Sonoma State in the quarterfinals of the CCAA Tournament, 3-1 (25-17, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19).
Sonoma State dominated the opening set. After an early 1-1 tie, the Seawolves scored the next point to take the lead and did not look back as they cruised to a 25-17 win for a 1-0 lead in sets.
Karis Carter had three kills on three attempts with no errors in the opening set.
Set two was close for its majority. Cal State East Bay built up to its largest lead of 18-12 on a kill from
Alexandria Gloria. However, the Seawolves climbed back into the set and eventually regained the lead at 23-22. While an error by SSU allowed the Pioneers to be even at 23-23, the Seawolves took the final two points of the set for a 25-23 win, going ahead 2-0.
In the third set, the Pioneers led 21-18, and finished with the last four points of the set, capped off by a kill from
Lexi Pagani for a 25-18 win. Cal State East Bay trailed 2-1 in sets.
Sonoma State finished the third set on a 12-5 run, to win 25-19 and complete a 3-1 victory over the Pioneers to advance to Friday's semifinal against Cal State LA.
- Carter finished with a .615 attack percentage after nine kills and one error.
- Pagani led the Pioneers in kills overall with 12.
- Defensively, Taylor Miche had 20 digs and Mia Jordan had four total blocks.
- Miche, Pagani, Kara Green, Megan Crecelius and Julianne Tan had one service ace each.
- Cal State East Bay achieved 20 wins during the 2022 season, which was the most in one season under the direction of head coach Kimberly Lambert and most for the program since 2010.
Lambert on the successful season the Pioneers had in 2022:
"I am so proud of the team for an incredible season. To go from 10th to fourth place required a ton of trust in the process and lots of dedication. Although we end on a tough loss, it does not take away from what the athletes made happen in the offseason, in each practice this fall. I look forward to working with them to create new goals for next year."
Cal State East Bay: 20-7
The 2022 season for Cal State East Bay was the fourth played under the direction of Lambert.
