Report by LBSU
Tommy Pestolesi had a team-high 15 kills and hit .355 to lead Long Beach State to a 30-23, 30-26, 30-23 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation win over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion Friday night.
Pestolesi helped the 49ers (8-6, 6-4 MPSF) jump out to an early lead in the first game. He finished with nine kills and a .750 hitting percentage to help The Beach take a 1-0 lead in a game it never trailed. LBSU hit .379 as a team in the game, while UCLA struggled hitting just .167.
LBSU fell behind early in game two but rallied to take a 15-14 lead. The two teams would battle in a tight set until the 49ers stretched a 25-24 lead to 28-24 with three straight points. They would hold on to push the lead to 2-0 behind the play of junior Antwain Aguillard and sophomore Jim Baughman. Aguillard had six kills in the second game, while Baughman finished with three aces.
Pestolesi, a senior, led the 49ers to an easy win in game three. He added six of his 15 kills in the game, while senior Dean Bittner chipped in four kills, two blocks and two service aces. The Beach hit .261 in winning the match, while UCLA (9-8, 8-6 MPSF) struggled hitting just .136.
Bittner finished with 10 kills on 20 swings and a .350 hitting percentage. Aguillard added seven kills on 10 swings, a .500 hitting percentage and eight blocks. Garrett Maugututia led UCLA with seven kills.