PUEBLO, Colo. - In a dazzling display of resilience and skill, the Cal State East Bay Pioneers closed out the 2024 Steel City Classic with a commanding 3-0 victory over the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds. Saturday's match, held at Massari Arena, saw the Pioneers sweep with set scores of 26-24, 25-17, and 25-22.
The opening set was a nail-biter that set the tone for the entire match. Down by as many as six points, the Pioneers showcased their fighting spirit, clawing their way back into contention. Alexandria Gloria's kill knotted the score at 19-19 to complete the climb back. With their backs against the wall at 24-23, East Bay capitalized on a Greyhounds error before two more points for East Bay, as Mia Jordan delivered a kill to win set point, securing the set, 26-24.
Riding the momentum, the Pioneers found their groove in the second set. After a tense start that saw both teams locked at 10-10, Gloria once again rose to the occasion. Her decisive kill gave East Bay the 11-10 lead they wouldn't relinquish, cruising to a comfortable 25-17 set win.
The final set proved to be another test of the Pioneers' mettle. Trailing for much of the early going, it was Lexi Pagani who turned the tide, evening the score at 15-15 with a kill. The teams traded points until Pagani struck again, giving East Bay their first lead of the set at 18-17. From there, the Pioneers held firm, with Coco Ikpe delivering the final kill in a 25-22 set victory that sealed the match.
- Lexi Pagani was unstoppable, leading the team with 15 kills and an impressive .303 attack percentage.
- Alexandria Gloria contributed 10 crucial kills.
- Pi'ilani Carvalho orchestrated the offense with a team-high 22 assists and added two blocks for good measure.
- Rebeca Freitas anchored the defense with 12 digs.
- The team's collective effort resulted in their best attack percentage (.235) of the tournament.
- For the Greyhounds, Darcy Dodd fought valiantly with a team-high nine kills.
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WHERE THE PIONEERS SIT AND LOOKING AHEAD |
This victory caps off a solid 2-2 start to the season for Cal State East Bay in the Steel City Classic.
Saturday's sweep provides crucial momentum as the Pioneers look ahead to their home tournament, the 2024 Route 92 Classic. The Pioneers are set to host the University of Hawai'i at Hilo in the tournament opener on Thursday at 4 p.m. inside Pioneer Gymnasium. With four matches in three action-packed days coming up, the Pioneers will apply their similar experience from this week to manage so much action in a small window.
