HAYWARD, Calif. – Cal State East Bay volleyball put together one of its most complete performances of the season Friday night, earning a dominant 3-0 sweep over UC Merced at Pioneer Gymnasium. The Pioneers won 25-20, 26-24, 25-14 to improve to 6-7 overall and 3-2 in CCAA play.
The Pioneers came out sharp in the opening set, hitting .304 as a team and never trailing on their way to a 25-20 win. Barakat Adekola Makayah Adams led the charge offensively with five first set kills apiece to help East Bay to 18 total kills.
Set two was a battle, with six ties and a late push from UC Merced tied the set at 23-23. Adekola broke the tie with a kill and three points later Fane Paua registered the game winning block.
The Pioneers carried all the momentum into the third, quickly building separation and cruising to a 25-14 clincher, holding the Bobcats to a negative hitting percentage in the frame.
Adekola led the charge with 12 kills on .323 hitting, adding two aces and six digs while Adams finished with 11 kills and three blocks. Natali Herrera was nearly unstoppable in the middle, recording nine kills on a .615 hitting percentage. Setter Pi'ilani Carvalho dished out 27 assists and added nine digs with Gianna Navarro tallying six aces to go with four kills and 12 digs.
Defensively, Kale'a Kuamo'o led the back row with 12 digs, while the Pioneers combined for 12 team blocks, including three each from Herrera, Adams, and Paua. East Bay finished with 40 kills on .234 hitting, compared to UC Merced's 34 kills at a .131 clip.
The Pioneers return to action tomorrow night when they host Stanislaus State at Pioneer Gymnasium at 5:00 pm
Latest Women's Volleyball
- Pioneer Preview: October 1-6This is a big week for the Pioneers with men's and women's soccer kicking off CCAA play and volleyball hosting a pair of conference games. Swim and men's and women's cross country are also in action with some big meets on the calendar.
- East Bay Battles but Falls in Four to Cal State LALOS ANGELES, Calif. – Cal State East Bay pushed one of the CCAA's top teams to the limit on Saturday afternoon, but the Pioneers came up just short in a four-set road loss to Cal State LA, 25-17, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20, at University Gym. The result moved East Bay to 5-7 overall and 2-2 in CCAA play, while the Golden Eagles improved to 8-3 and remained unbeaten in league action at 4-0.
- Pioneers Storm Back to Stun San Marcos in Five-Set ComebackSAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay volleyball team delivered its most dramatic win of the season Friday night, erasing a two-set deficit to outlast Cal State San Marcos in a gritty five-set battle, 24-26, 25-27, 25-10, 25-23, 15-13. With the victory, the Pioneers improved to 5-6 overall and 2-1 in CCAA play.
- Pioneer Preview: Sept. 24-30
- 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.
