Pioneers bounce back with win over Cal State Dominguez Hills

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Freshman Katie Allen led the Pioneers with 17 kills in the win. (Photo: Ron Allen)

  • November 6, 2010



CARSON, Calif.  - The Pioneer volleyball team got back on the winning track with a four-set victory (25-17, 25-18, 25-27, 25-21) over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Nov. 5. The Pioneers (19-6, 14-6 CCAA) bounced back from a Friday night loss to complete the season sweep of the Toros (3-23, 2-18).

As a team, the Pioneers recorded 63 kills and hit for a .298 percentage. Katie Allen led Cal State East Bay with 17 kills, while Kitona Offord had a solid match with 13 kills, a .409 hitting percentage and six total blocks. Brianna Bryant put down 11 kills while at a .450 clip and Jit Athwal added 10 kills and 11 digs to complete the double-double. K.C. Walsh set up the Pioneer attack with 42 assists.

Elizabeth Krieger topped the Toros with a match-high 18 kills, while Denise Devine followed with 13 putaways. 

Cal State East Bay hit a sizzling .432 in the first set. Allen and Offord each had seven kills. The Pioneers took a 14-13 lead on Allen's kill. East Bay went on a 9-4 run to take a 23-17 advantage. Walsh put down a kill to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead in the match.

Trailing 16-14, the Pioneers went on a 7-0 run to lead 21-16 in the second set. With the score at 24-18, Allen put down a kill to give East Bay a 2-0 advantage.

The Toros held a 19-14 lead in the third set. East Bay tied the score 19-19 on a Walsh block. A kill by Athwal enabled the Pioneers to take a narrow 25-24 advantage. Cal State Dominguez Hills scored the next two points and won the third set on a kill by Krieger.

In a hard-fought fourth set, Bryant put down a kill to give the Pioneers a 12-11 lead. The score was tied six times following Bryant's kill. Roxanne Neely's kill enabled the Pioneers to lead 18-17.  Consecutive kills by Allen and Bryant extended East Bay’s advantage to 22-18. The Pioneers captured the set and the match on a Toro’s attack error.   

Cal State East Bay returns to action next weekend for the final two matches of the 2010 campaign. The Pioneers will travel to No. 7 Cal State San Bernardino on Nov. 12 to meet the Coyotes, who they defeated in five sets in Hayward in the first meeting this season. East Bay will then close out the season against Cal Poly Pomona on Nov. 13.