SAN BERNARDINO (Nov. 17, 2016) — Not since the 2013 season had the Coyotes made a postseason appearance at home until Thursday night's CCAA Tournament match against Cal State East Bay.
 
The Coyotes felt right at home and stretched their season-long winning streak to 13 in a 3-0 win over the Pioneers at Coussoulis Arena. CSUSB (22-4 overall) takes on two-time defending conference champion Sonoma State in Friday's semifinals.
 
First serve is 7:30 p.m.
 
The victory was sound in many respects. CSUSB hit .323 on 46 kills with 45 assists. The Coyotes hammered out 11 services aces, thanks to three apiece from All-American Malika O'Brien, Jayann DeHoog and Hailey Jackson — three of CSUSB's All-CCAA players this season.
 
The other all-conference star, junior OH Lauren Nicholson, led with 14 kills, hit .357 with eight digs.
 
Thanks to two of Jackson's three aces, CSUSB grabbed the lead from the start in a 5-0 spurt in the opener. O'Brien did one better than her teammate, earning all three of her aces in consecutive fashion that built a 15-7 lead in the first.
 
In the second, O'Brien, Nicholson, Jackson and freshman Moira Murphy all had three kills each as the Coyotes hit .433 for the win.
 
And in the third, Nicholson fired off seven kills with five digs.
 
DeHoog finished with 37 assists, and senior libero Abbey Vollkommer had a match-high 13 digs.
 
CSUEB, which ended its season 13-14, was led by Kiki Leuteneker with eight.
 
North top seed Chico State, which defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills, faces Stanislaus State in Friday's first semifinal that begins at 5 p.m.