TURLOCK, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay women's volleyball team battled Stanislaus State through five sets on Saturday, ultimately falling 3-2 at Fitzpatrick Arena. The Pioneers moved to 4-8 overall and 3-3 in CCAA play following the hard-fought match.
The opening set set the tone for a competitive afternoon, with 13 ties and 22 combined tie scores throughout the match. Stanislaus State edged the Pioneers 27-25 in the first set, but East Bay answered with one of its strongest sets of the afternoon.
The Pioneers dominated the second set, cruising to a 25-10 victory while hitting .355 with 13 kills and just two attack errors. Stanislaus State responded by taking the third set 25-20, but East Bay again answered in the fourth. The Pioneers recorded a match-high 16 kills in the fourth set and held off the Warriors, 25-23, to force a deciding fifth set.
Stanislaus State ultimately claimed the fifth set 15-6 to take the match, 3-2.
Gianna Navarro led the Pioneer attack with 16 kills, while adding eight digs, three block assists and one service ace. Makaiya Gerhardt followed with 15 kills, seven digs, three service aces and two assists. Barakat Adekola added 11 kills and finished with a team-high 22 digs.
Pi'ilani Carvalho directed the East Bay offense with 41 assists and contributed 17 digs, six service aces, two kills, two block assists and one solo block. Kale'a Kuamo'o also made a major impact defensively, recording a team-high 23 digs while adding three service aces.
Carys Fouser finished with three kills and four block assists, while Brooklynne Traficante added three kills, one solo block and one block assist. Faith Stambaugh contributed three kills, one solo block and three block assists.
East Bay finished with 55 kills, 21 attack errors and 193 total attacks for a .176 hitting percentage. The Pioneers also recorded 86 digs, 13 service aces, three solo blocks and 16 block assists. East Bay's most efficient offensive sets came in the second and fourth, hitting .355 and .250, respectively.
Cal State East Bay returns home for its next match on Friday, October 2, hosting Chico State at Pioneer Gymnasium. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. as the Pioneers continue CCAA play.
