Pioneers Push Northern Michigan to Five Sets in Home Opener

HAYWARD, Calif. — Cal State East Bay battled Northern Michigan through five sets in its 2026 home opener Thursday afternoon, falling 25-23, 20-25, 25-23, 19-25, 17-15 at Pioneer Gymnasium. The match was tightly contested from the start. The opening set featured 13 ties and six lead changes before Northern Michigan was able to secure the final points for a 25-23 win. East Bay responded immediately in the second set with one of its strongest offensive stretches of the match. The Pioneers recorded 16 kills with just two attack errors on 28 attempts in the second, hitting .500 as a team…