HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay volleyball team advanced to the CCAA Tournament semifinals Tuesday evening, sweeping Cal State LA 3-0 in the opening round at Pioneer Gymnasium. The Pioneers secured the victory with set scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-22, earning a spot in Friday's semifinal matchup against Fresno Pacific.
East Bay opened the match with an efficient offensive performance, recording 15 kills on 34 attempts with just four errors for a .324 hitting percentage in the first set. Cal State LA finished the frame with 14 kills while hitting .189, but the Pioneers came away with a 25-21 victory to establish an early advantage.
The Pioneers continued their momentum into the second set, using a strong defensive effort to limit the Golden Eagles to a -.036 hitting percentage. East Bay recorded 11 kills in the frame and held Cal State LA to 10, claiming a 25-17 victory to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set proved to be the closest of the match, featuring 12 ties and seven lead changes. Despite Cal State LA recording 14 kills and hitting .205, the Pioneers remained composed down the stretch, securing a 25-22 victory to complete the sweep.
Gianna Navarro led the Pioneers offensively with a match-high 11 kills on 30 attempts while hitting .267. She also contributed eight digs and four block assists, helping lead East Bay's effort on both sides of the ball.
Carys Fouser followed with an impressive performance, recording nine kills on 13 attempts with just one error for a match-high .615 hitting percentage. Fouser also contributed one solo block and three block assists, providing a strong presence at the net.
Lamona Lauhingoa added eight kills and four digs, while Barakat Adekola contributed four kills and 13 digs. Natali Herrera finished with four kills and a match-high five block assists.
Pi'ilani Carvalho directed the East Bay offense with a double-double, recording 31 assists and 13 digs while adding three kills and a service ace. Kale'a Kuamo'o anchored the Pioneer defense with a match-high 18 digs and four assists, while Lauren Au contributed a service ace.
As a team, East Bay finished with 39 kills, 60 digs and two service aces while hitting .183. The Pioneers also recorded nine total team blocks and held Cal State LA to a .098 hitting percentage.
The victory extended East Bay's winning streak to five matches and secured the Pioneers a spot in the CCAA Tournament semifinals. East Bay will face Fresno Pacific on Friday as it looks to continue its postseason run.
