POMONA, Calif. — Cal State East Bay women's volleyball went toe-to-toe with the CCAA's top team on Saturday afternoon, forcing a fifth set before ultimately falling to No. 23 Cal Poly Pomona, 3–2 (20–25, 16–25, 25–12, 25–21, 15–11). The Pioneers moved to 13–11 overall and 10–6 in the CCAA play while remaining in fourth place.
Fane Paua led the way for East Bay, hitting .300 with eight kills, six blocks, and two service aces.
Natali Herrera added seven kills and four blocks, while
Jada Stone posted six kills and three blocks.
Barakat Adekola finished with a team-best 23 digs, and setter
Pi'ilani Carvalho orchestrated the offense with 30 assists and 13 digs for her seventh double-double of the season.
East Bay came out aggressive in the opening frame, using strong serving and an efficient attack to build an early lead. Paua recorded back-to-back kills and Stone and Adams combined for key kills during a mid-set run that pushed the Pioneers ahead 18–15. East Bay maintained composure, sealing the set 25–20 on a block from Herrera and Stone. The Pioneers hit .147 as a team in the frame and capitalized on Pomona's early miscues.
The second set was all East Bay as the Pioneers opened on a 5–1 run with three straight blocks to set the tone defensively. The Pioneers kept their foot on the gas and kept extending their advantage in the set with Adams leading the way with five kills. EB finished with a .240 hitting percentage and suffocating net play kept Pomona off balance to make it 2–0.
Cal Poly Pomona responded with its best set of the match, catching fire offensively during a 12–2 opening run. Despite a few defensive stops by East Bay, the Broncos hit .318 in the set while holding the Pioneers to .024. Adams and Herrera each recorded two kills, but the Broncos cruised to a 25–12 win to cut the deficit in half.
The fourth frame was tightly contested with seven ties and three lead changes. East Bay rallied from a 15–8 deficit with a three straight blocks from Paua that tied the score at 18–18. However, Pomona regained momentum late, taking advantage of a few attack errors to edge out the Pioneers 25–21 and force a decisive fifth set.
East Bay jumped ahead 3–0 behind an early kill from Herrera. The Broncos responded with a 5–0 run and never trailed again despite a late Pioneer surge that cut the deficit to 14–11. The Broncos closed out the match with consecutive kills to remain unbeaten in CCAA play.
The Pioneers finished with 47 kills and a .116 hitting percentage while totaling 11 team blocks and five service aces. Pomona countered with 71 kills at a .166 clip.
Cal State East Bay is back on the road next week as they close out the regular season at Chico State and Cal Poly Humboldt.
