HAYWARD, Calif. — Cal State East Bay volleyball continued its strong play in conference action Saturday afternoon, sweeping Cal Poly Humboldt 25-15, 25-23, 27-25 at Pioneer Gymnasium. The victory improved the Pioneers to 13-9 overall and 10-4 in CCAA play while clinching a CCAA Tournament berth.
 
The Pioneers set the tone early with a dominant first set, hitting .355 as a team while holding Humboldt to just eight kills. Cal State East Bay's offense was led by Jada Stone, who delivered nine kills on a .304 hitting percentage, and Natali Herrera, who added eight kills while hitting an efficient .429. Fane Paua was a two-way standout, finishing with five kills, two service aces, and a match-high seven total blocks.
 
The second set saw more back-and-forth action, as the Lumberjacks battled to stay within striking distance. Pi'ilani Carvalho guided the offense with 27 assists and three aces, while Makaiya Gerhardt contributed seven kills and a pair of service aces to keep the Pioneers in control. Kale'a Kuamo'o anchored the back row with 19 digs, helped East Bay pull away late with the final three points in a 25-23 win.
 
In the final frame, both teams traded leads in a tightly contested finish that featured 12 ties and eight lead changes. A timely block from Carvalho and Pane and a match ending ace from Carvalho sealed the win, 27-25.
 
As a team, East Bay hit .227 compared to Humboldt's .121, and the Pioneers out-blocked the visitors 14-6 while also holding a 37-35 kill advantage.
 
Cal State East Bay will look to carry its momentum into next week's CCAA road swing, beginning Friday at Cal State San Bernardino.