Box Score

HONOLULU - Senior outside hitter Jose Delgado pounded down a match-high 26 kills leading No. 6 Hawai`i past No. 4 Long Beach State 30-25, 27-30, 30-23, 34-32 tonight in front of 3,879 fans at the Stan Sheriff Center in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match.

Hawai`i improved to 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the MPSF while Long Beach State fell to 11-4 and 6-3.

In the first game, the two teams played evenly with UH holding a slim 21-20 advantage before running off four of the next five points to get some breathing room and eventually winning the game, 30-25.

The two teams again went back and forth in Game 2 until LBSU took the lead for good at 22-21. Hawai`i stayed close trailing 25-24 when the 49ers picked up two quick points on a kill by Robert Tarr and a UH hitting error to give them a three point lead and kept the margin to even the match at a game apiece with a 30-27 win.

The Warrior came out on fire in Game 3 jumping out to a 5-1 lead and increased it to five at 16-11. But LBSU pulled to within three at 20-17. Backup setter Sean Carney again supplied the spark for UH from the service line going on a 5-0 run and taking a 2-1 advantage in the match, 30-23.

Game 4 was a battle. UH again came out strong leading 5-1 and held the lead until LBSU final took over the lead at 28-27 on a double-block by Tarr and Teddy Liles.

UH stavved off three match points, the last being 32-31. But a Matt Carere kill, a LBSU hitting error by Kevin Cape, and another kill by Carere gave the Warrior the two-match sweep.

Hawai`i hit .333 compared to LBSU's .242. UH Setter Brian Beckwith dished out 64 assists, while Lauri Hakala added 18 kills and Carere 16.

LBSU was led by the duo of Duncan Budinger and Tarr as each slammed down 22 kills each.

The Warriors take to the airways next week for a four-match West Coast swing with two matches at Cal State Northridge Feb. 24-25 and a pair at USC Feb. 27-28.