Tom Pestolesi named 2017-18 OEC women's coach of the year

Tom Pestolesi named 2017-18 OEC women's coach of the year

Irvine Valley's Tom Pestolesi was named women's coach of the year for all sports in the Orange Empire Conference for the 2017-18 college year after helping lead the Lasers indoor volleyball team to a California Community College Athletic Association State Championship and undefeated record last fall.

Irvine Valley finished with a record of 27-0 and lost just eight sets all season.

Pestolesi was also named the Orange Empire Conference coach of the year as well as the Southern California Regional Coach of the Year for community colleges by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

In his 19 seasons of guiding the women's squad at Irvine Valley, Pestolesi has a record of 329-102 and has won two women's indoor titles.

He helped guide sophomores Megan Ramseyer and Olivia Aguilar, who were named the conference most valuable players and selected as All-American, All-State and All-Region players by the AVCA.

Ramseyer, Aguilar and fellow sophomores Taira Ka'awaloa, Diamond Brogan and Gabi Lau each earned scholarships to four-year schools.

Irvine Valley's women's volleyball team was also a CCCAA Scholar-Team nominee and Irvine Valley's scholar team for the 2017-18 year.

Along with the indoor team, Pestolesi coached the IVC women's beach volleyball team to a conference title and Ka'awaloa and Ramseyer won the state pairs title, and guided the men's indoor volleyball team to a second place in conference and a trip to the CCCAA State Championship semifinals.