Pioneers Split Saturday Matches in Gator Classic; Finish Tournament With Win Over Western Oregon
SAN FRANCISCO — Cal State East Bay volleyball finished the SF State Invitational with a split on Saturday at SFFCU Gymnasium at Don Nasser Family Plaza, falling in straight sets to Fresno Pacific before bouncing back with a four-set win over Western Oregon. The Pioneers showed resilience in the second match of the day, led by standout performances from Barakat Adekola and Pi'ilani Carvalho.
After a tough loss to the Sunbirds in the morning, East Bay responded with a gritty effort against the Wolves, highlighted by a pair of extended opening sets and a strong finish in the deciding fourth.
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FPU 3, EB 0 |
Set Scores: 25-21, 25-15, 25-17
- First Set: The Pioneers had an early 12-8 lead after a kill from Adekola, but Fresno Pacific scored the next seven points, with four kills in the stretch from Mikayla Smith. East Bay kept the set close, but FPU also did not relinquish a lead from there and finished with a 25-21 win.
- Second Set: Knotted at 5-5, FPU scored eight unanswered, and comfortably went up 2-0 after finishing the set, 25-15
- Third Set: A similar scenario happened in set three after a 4-4 tie. FPU strung together the next seven points and led the rest of the way for a 25-17 win to complete the sweep.
Notable Stats:
- Gianna Navarro led East Bay with 12 kills.
- Kale'a Kuamo'o had 19 digs.
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EB 3, WOU 1 |
Set Scores: 28-26, 26-28, 25-22, 25-19
- First Set: A back-and-forth battle that went into extra points at 26-26. Natali Herrera set up a match point advantage with a kill and Carvalho had a kill to win set point at 28-26.
- Second Set: The Wolves returned the favor flipping the 28-26 score, overcoming multiple set points and finishing off the set with a service ace from Samanta Darby.
- Third Set: Up 23-17, East Bay was able to fend off a run late by the Wolves, as a kill by Malayah Adams sealed the set at 25-22.
- Fourth Set: The Pioneers stayed in control for much of set four. Although they did not take a full on dominant lead, they stayed ahead and finished the match with three straight points to win 25-19 and take the match, 3-1.
Notable Stats:
- Barakat Adekola posted 14 kills and 11 digs for her third double-double of the season. East Bay is 3-0 this season when Adekola has a double double.
- Pi'ilani Carvalho added a double-double with 19 assists and 10 digs.
- Herrera tallied seven block assists.
- Fane Paua added three more blocks, in addition to the three in Saturday's first match, bringing her season total to 31, tied for third in the CCAA.
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POSTGAME QUOTE |
Cal State East Bay head coach Kimberly Lambert following the Gator Classic:
"On a day where we have two opponents, it was a great team response to rebound after the FPU match to finish the tournament with a win."
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RECORD |
Cal State East Bay: 3-5
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UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY |
Cal State East Bay opens CCAA play and hosts its 2025 home opener on Thursday, September 18 against Cal State Monterey Bay. First serve is set for 5 p.m. at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward.
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- Pioneers Power Past SF State for First CCAA Win of 2025HAYWARD, Calif. - Cal State East Bay volleyball earned a hard-fought victory Saturday evening at Pioneer Gymnasium, defeating (RV) San Francisco State in four sets (25-21, 25-12, 18-25, 25-20) to secure its first California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) win of the season. The Pioneers were led by a trio of double-double performances and a balanced attack that kept the Gators on their heels throughout the match.
- Pioneer Volleyball Swept in Thursday's CCAA OpenerHAYWARD, Calif. — Cal State East Bay opened its CCAA volleyball slate Thursday night at Pioneer Gymnasium with a hard-fought effort against Cal State Monterey Bay, but the Pioneers were unable to overcome key scoring runs and dropped their home opener in straight sets, 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-18). Despite a strong performance from senior Barakat Adekola, who posted her fourth double-double of the season, East Bay struggled to maintain momentum in critical stretches. The Otters capitalized on early leads and closed each set with poise, handing the Pioneers their first conference loss of the season.
- Pioneers Swept on Friday to No. 6 TampaSAN FRANCISCO — Cal State East Bay volleyball faced a tough challenge Friday afternoon at the SFFCU Gymnasium at Don Nasser Family Plaza, falling in straight sets to No. 6 Tampa, 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-18), in the opening match of the Gator Classic. Despite the loss, the Pioneers showed flashes of resilience, particularly in the first and third sets, and will look to build on those moments heading into Saturday's doubleheader.
- Pioneer Volleyball Returns to Winning Ways With Sweep on ThursdaySAN FRANCISCO — Cal State East Bay volleyball returned to the win column Thursday afternoon with a commanding 3-0 sweep over Menlo College at SFFCU Gymnasium at Don Nasser Family Plaza. The Pioneers showcased a balanced attack and resilient defense to take the match in straight sets: 25-11, 25-23, 25-21.
- Pioneer Volleyball Wraps Up Hawaii Trip on SaturdayHONOLULU — Cal State East Bay volleyball battled point for point with UC Colorado Springs on Saturday afternoon but fell in three sets at McCabe Gym, as the Mountain Lions completed a sweep 25-22, 25-20, 30-28 in East Bay's final match of the 2025 Hawaii Challenge. The Pioneers showed resilience in the third set set, rallying from six points down to push the frame to extra points before UCCS pulled out the win.
