CHICO, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay volleyball team secured a crucial victory on Saturday evening, sweeping Chico State 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-17) at Art Acker Gymnasium to close out the regular season. With this win, the Pioneers clinched the final spot in the 2024 CCAA Tournament, marking their first appearance since 2022 and fifth overall.
The Pioneers' journey to the tournament is particularly remarkable given their slow start to the conference season. After beginning with a 2-7 record in CCAA play, Cal State East Bay's resilience and determination have paid off, culminating in the pivotal victory.
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MATCH SUMMARY |
East Bay dominated the opening set, finishing with a strong 8-2 run to take it 25-15. The second set saw more resistance from the Wildcats, who jumped out to an early 12-7 lead. However, the Pioneers responded with a 5-0 run, highlighted by a service ace from Kale'a Kuamo'o, to level the score at 12-12. From there, East Bay never trailed by more than a point, eventually securing the set 25-21 with a kill from Coco Ikpe.
The third set remained tight early on, tied at 7-7, before a kill from Alexandria Gloria ignited a four-point streak for the Pioneers. East Bay maintained control for the remainder of the match, with Mia Jordan's kill on match point sealing the sweep and the team's tournament berth.
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NOTABLE STATS |
- Alexandria Gloria led the offensive charge with a team-high 11 kills on 18 attempts, boasting an impressive .611 attack percentage. She also contributed defensively with a team-leading 11 digs.
- Ikpe matched Gloria's kill total with 11 of her own.
- Kuamo'o was a force from the service line, recording three aces.
- To reach the tournament, East Bay needed help in earlier CCAA action on Saturday and got it when Sonoma State lost to Cal State LA. With the Pioneers' match taking place after Saturday's loss for Sonoma State, all East Bay needed was a win to clinch the postseason berth.
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POSTGAME QUOTES |
Cal State East Bay head coach Kimberly Lambert speaking about her thoughts on the team reaching the postseason:
"Postseason has been [a goal] we collectively as a team since day one this season. The team has bought in and supported one another to earn their spot. Really happy for this group!"
East Bay senior Mia Jordan speaking about the team's performance and what the team looks forward to:
"It was a focused match. We are locked in and fired up, ready to put in the work to extend our season as long as we can."
Lexi Pagani speaking about her team and what she looks forward to for the Pioneers:
"I am so proud of this team. We have worked so hard to get to this point and cannot wait [for] this next opportunity to compete."
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FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS |
Cal State East Bay: 13-13, 8-10 CCAA
Chico State: 9-16, 6-12 CCAA
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UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY |
No. 6 seed Cal State East Bay will face No. 3 seed Stanislaus State in the quarterfinals of the 2024 CCAA Volleyball Tournament. The match is scheduled for Thursday, November 21, at 3 p.m. in Kellogg Arena on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona in Pomona, California. The Pioneers will be looking to avenge their two regular-season losses to Stanislaus State as they begin their tournament run.
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