HAYWARD, Calif. - Cal State East Bay volleyball celebrated Halloween night in winning fashion, taking down Cal State San Marcos 3–1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-11, 25-18) on Friday evening. After dropping a tightly contested opening set, the Pioneers stormed back with a dominant stretch of play behind strong attacking and a relentless defense improve to 12-9 overall and 9-4 in the CCAA.
Gianna Navarro led the charge with a match-high 13 kills, hitting an impressive .214 while adding 14 digs for a double-double. Setter Pi'ilani Carvalho orchestrated the offense with 48 assists and 10 digs, while libero Kale'a Kuamo'o anchored the defense with a match-best 16 digs. Malayah Adams added 10 kills and hit .200, while middle blocker Fane Paua was a force at the net, tallying nine kills on a .600 hitting percentage and four total blocks.
After the Cougars took the opening set, the Pioneers bounced back impressively, seizing momentum midway through the second. After trailing 7–9, East Bay ripped off a 13–5 run fueled by Adams, who tallied several key kills during the surge. Navarro added an ace and Brooklynne Traficante helped anchor the front-line defense with timely blocks as East Bay pulled away to win 25–16 and even the match.
East Bay dominated from the opening serve, racing out to a commanding 11–2 lead behind Navarro's serving run and Adams' hot hand at the net. The Pioneers continued to roll, controlling every phase of play and hitting efficiently while holding the Cougars to just 11 points. East Bay closed the set 25–11, capped by a kill from Herrera to move ahead 2–1.
The Pioneers put the match away in the fourth as Navarro, Paua, and Herrera paced the attack as the Pioneers turned a 5–1 deficit into a 17–11 advantage and eventually took the set 25-18.
As a team, East Bay hit .222 overall and dominated with a 48-31 kill advantage. The Pioneers held an advantage in blocks at 9-5 and aces 11-6.
The Pioneers return to action on Saturday when they host Cal Poly Humboldt at 2:00 pm at Pioneer Gymnasium.
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