SAN FRANCISCO — Cal State East Bay volleyball put up a strong fight on the road but came up short in a four-set battle against San Francisco State, falling 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-14, 25-19) on Saturday afternoon. The loss moved the Pioneers to 11-9 overall and 8-4 in CCAA play, while the Gators improved to 7-12 and 6-6 in the CCAA.
Barakat Adekola finished with a team-high 14 kills, two service aces, and 12 digs for a strong all-around performance. Piʻilani Carvalho added six kills while distributing 28 assists and leading the defense with 18 digs, while libero Kaleʻa Kuamoʻo contributed 19 digs and two aces from the back row.
In the opening set, East Bay battled back after an early 5–1 deficit, sparked by kills from Natali Herrera and Adekola, and a service ace from Fane Paua that trimmed the gap to 22–20. However, San Francisco State closed with the final three points to take the first set 25–20.
The Pioneers responded immediately in the second. Behind strong serving from Kuamoʻo, East Bay built a 17–11 advantage with a 5–0 run fueled by three Gator attack errors and a kill from Adekola. Trinity Cox delivered late, collecting back-to-back aces to push the Pioneers to set point before Carvalho sealed it with a kill to even the match, 25–21.
Momentum shifted in the third, as San Francisco State's offense caught fire. The Gators used multiple scoring runs—including an early 6–0 burst—to take control and never look back, winning the set 25–14.
East Bay looked poised for a comeback in the fourth set, trading points early and holding a narrow 18–16 lead after a Carvalho ace. However, the Gators responded with a 9–1 run to pull ahead sealed the match 25–19.
The Pioneers return home next week for matches against Cal State San Marcos and Cal Poly Humboldt.
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