HAYWARD, Calif. – Cal State East Bay volleyball earned a thrilling five-set victory over Stanislaus State on Saturday night, taking the match 20-25, 25-21, 25-20, 14-25, 15-10. With the victory, the Pioneers evened their record at 7-7 overall and improved to 4-2 in CCAA play, while the Warriors dropped to 7-6 and 5-1 in conference.
The Pioneers got contributions from across the lineup in a balanced team performance that featured four players with double-digit kills. Barakat Adekola led the way with 14 kills, 20 digs, and two aces, while Gianna Navarro matched her with 14 kills and 14 digs. Natali Herrera was a force at the net with 11 kills on a blistering .429 hitting percentage along with seven total blocks with Malayah Adams adding 11 kills to round out East Bay's balanced attack.
Setter Pi'ilani Carvalho dished out 47 assists while adding four service aces, 14 digs, and a pair of key kills. Kale'a Kuamo'o anchored the defense with a match-high 23 digs.
After dropping the first set 25-20, East Bay responded with a surge in the second, capitalizing on Stanislaus State errors to even the match. The Pioneers carried that momentum into the third, where they found their offensive rhythm—hitting .277 behind Adams, Navarro, and Herrera—to take control with a 25-20 win and move within a set of victory.
The Warriors battled back to even the match with a victory in the fourth. The match moved to a deciding fifth game where the Pioneers quickly regrouped. East Bay jumped out to an early lead behind an attack featuring Herrera and Adekola and never looked back. The Pioneers hit .200 in the final frame, while their defense held Stanislaus to .100, sealing the 15-10 win.
Overall, East Bay totaled 63 kills to the Warriors' 57 kills. The Pioneers also held a decisive 19-8 advantage in total blocks and aces combined.
The Pioneers return to action next week as CCAA play continues, hosting Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona on Friday and Saturday.
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- Pioneers Push Cal Poly Pomona to the Brink in Five-Set ThrillerHAYWARD, Calif. — Cal State East Bay went toe-to-toe with conference leader Cal Poly Pomona on Friday night at Pioneer Gymnasium, taking the match the full five sets before ultimately falling 3–2. The Pioneers fell 23–25, 26–24, 20–25, 25–21, 13–15 to snap a three match win streak and move to 8-9 overall and 5-3 in CCAA play.
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- Kale’a Kuamo’o Earns Her First Career FloCollege/CCAA Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week AwardKale'a Kuamo'o from has been voted this week's FloCollege/CCAA Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week. Kuamo'o averaged a CCAA-best 4.38 digs on the weekend to help Cal State East Bay defend its home court with a pair of victories. She added five assists and two aces.
- Pioneers Sweep UC Merced in Straight SetsHAYWARD, 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.
- 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.
