HAYWARD, Calif. – Humboldt State volleyball overcame a rocky start and forced five sets in Saturday night's 3-2 (13-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-21, 8-15) loss to Cal State East Bay.

The Lumberjacks continued to struggle offensively in the opening set, hitting just .029, and they lost set one 13-25.

East Bay got out to a 3-0 lead in set two, but HSU answered. The second set featured seven ties, but the Green and Gold recorded four of the final five points to secure the 25-22 win.

The most competitive frame of the match was the third. The Jacks produced on the offensive end, hitting a match-high .314, and battled the Pioneers to a 24-24 tie. Kathy McKiernan put East Bay over the top with a pair of kills to give the home team a 26-24 advantage.

Being so close to victory and falling short in the third set motivated HSU in the pivotal fourth. With the set tied at 14-all, the Jacks used a 4-0 burst to gain the upper hand. Alex Lolland provided set point to force a match-deciding fifth set.

The Pioneers took a 5-0 lead and never looked back in the fifth frame. East Bay clicked offensively registering a .474 hitting percentage.

Lauren Reid and Lolland finished the match as the Green and Gold stat leaders. The pair each had 17 kills, and Reid added four digs and a pair of blocks. Jessica Lammers also put together a strong performance and ended the match with 18 digs and a team-high 21 assists.

HSU returns home to face Sonoma State Friday in Lumberjack Arena. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.