HAYWARD, Calif. — Cal State East Bay battled Northern Michigan through five sets in its 2026 home opener Thursday afternoon, falling 25-23, 20-25, 25-23, 19-25, 17-15 at Pioneer Gymnasium.
The match was tightly contested from the start.
The opening set featured 13 ties and six lead changes before Northern Michigan was able to secure the final points for a 25-23 win. East Bay responded immediately in the second set with one of its strongest offensive stretches of the match.
The Pioneers recorded 16 kills with just two attack errors on 28 attempts in the second, hitting .500 as a team on the way to a 25-20 victory that evened the match at one set apiece.
Northern Michigan regained the advantage with another 25-23 win in the third, but East Bay answered once again.
The Pioneers hit .313 in the fourth set, recording 13 kills with only three errors. East Bay took the frame 25-19 to force a decisive fifth set.
The final set remained tight all the way to the finish. The teams battled through six ties before Northern Michigan eventually escaped with a 17-15 win to take the match in five.
Barakat Adekola posted a season-high 23 kills, finishing with a .322 hitting percentage while adding 18 digs and a solo block. The performance gave Adekola her second double-double of the season.
Lamona Lauhingoa was right behind with 21 kills on .298 hitting, adding 14 digs, three service aces and a solo block. Adekola and Lauhingoa combined for 44 of East Bay's 62 kills.
Pi'ilani Carvalho directed the offense with 43 assists while adding seven digs and three kills on .429 hitting. Kale'a Kuamo'o matched Adekola for the team lead with 18 digs, while Natali Herrera contributed six kills on 12 attacks with just one error for a .417 hitting percentage.
East Bay finished with 62 kills, 52 assists, nine service aces and 68 digs while hitting .274 for the match, its best team hitting percentage through the first four matches of the season.
Cal State East Bay moves to 0-4 on the season.
