CARSON, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay volleyball team completed another five-set comeback Saturday afternoon, overcoming a two-set deficit to defeat Cal State Dominguez Hills 3-2 in CCAA action at the Torodome. The Pioneers secured the victory with set scores of 12-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-14 and 15-13, improving to 11-12 overall and 9-4 in conference play. With the win, East Bay secured fourth place in the CCAA standings and clinched home-court advantage for its upcoming conference tournament match.
East Bay struggled to find its offensive rhythm in the opening set, recording five kills while hitting -.080. Dominguez Hills took advantage, hitting .391 with 12 kills to claim a 25-12 victory.
The Pioneers showed improvement in the second set, recording 13 kills while hitting .108. However, the Toros maintained their advantage, taking the frame 25-22 to build a 2-0 lead in the match.
Facing elimination, East Bay responded in the third set, holding Dominguez Hills to a -.043 hitting percentage while recording 11 kills. The Pioneers claimed the set 25-18 to extend the match.
East Bay carried that momentum into the fourth set, delivering its most efficient offensive performance of the afternoon. The Pioneers recorded 14 kills with just three errors on 37 attempts for a .297 hitting percentage, while holding the Toros to a .073 mark. East Bay took the frame 25-14 to force a deciding fifth set.
The final set featured a tightly contested finish, with both teams recording nine kills. The Pioneers held their composure down the stretch, securing a 15-13 victory to complete the comeback and extend their winning streak to four matches.
Lamona Lauhingoa led East Bay offensively with 14 kills and added 20 digs to record a double-double. Makaiya Gerhardt followed with 10 kills and nine digs, while Saniya Kimbrough contributed nine kills on 23 attempts with just two errors for a .304 hitting percentage.
Kale'a Kuamo'o anchored the Pioneer defense with a match-high 33 digs while adding five service aces and seven assists. Pi'ilani Carvalho also recorded a double-double, finishing with 26 assists and 14 digs while matching Kuamo'o with five service aces.
Natali Herrera contributed three kills, one solo block and four block assists, while Brooklynne Traficante added three kills and a solo block. Lauren Au finished with two service aces as East Bay recorded 12 as a team.
As a team, East Bay finished with 52 kills, 100 digs and 12 service aces while hitting .105. The Pioneers also recorded 10 total team blocks and held Dominguez Hills to a .128 hitting percentage.
The victory marked East Bay's fourth consecutive win as the Pioneers secured a fourth-place conference finish and the opportunity to open CCAA Tournament play at home. East Bay will host a conference tournament match Tuesday at Pioneer Gymnasium.
