After opening the CPP/APU Tournament with a win on Thursday, PLNU Volleyball fell on the wrong side of a pair of closely-contested matches on Friday against No. 24 Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State East Bay.
 
The host Broncos prevailed over the Sea Lions in straight sets (25-22, 25-21, 25-23) before East Bay took down Point Loma in four sets (16-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-14) in the nightcap.
 
PLNU held an 11-7 advantage in the first set against CPP after Claire Smith's block. A 5-0 run by Cal Poly Pomona then turned the tide in favor of the hosts, before Smith's kill tied the set late. However, a late flurry saw the Broncos score four of the final five points to take the opening stanza.
 
In the second set, the Broncos led by as many as eight before the Sea Lions fought back to make it interesting, but that deficit proved too much for PLNU to overcome.
 
Then in what proved to be the final set, Point Loma held a 21-19 advantage after an Abigail Nua kill, only for the hosts to respond with a 4-0 run. The Sea Lions scored the next two points to tie the set at 23-23 but back-to-back Broncos kills clinched the match.
 
PLNU seemingly put that loss behind them quickly with a dominant first set display against CSUEB, hitting .387 while holding its opponents to a .000 attack %.
 
The Pioneers responded to even the match by winning the second set before a tight third stanza went East Bay's win and firmly turned the momentum in its favor.
 
CSUEB led 20-15 in the third, but PLNU stormed back to score five-straight points and tie the set at 21 apiece. The score was once again knotted up at 23 before the Pioneers scored the final two points to take a commanding 2-1 match lead.
 
That momentum carried into the fourth set, as East Bay raced out to a 10-2 advantage and didn't look back.
 
Point Loma (3-3 overall) closes out the CPP/APU Tournament on Saturday with a 2 p.m. match against Simon Fraser.