Waimea preseason boys’ tourney in its 14th year By JASON GALLIC TGI Sports Editor WAIMEA — It’s been the same story for 13 seasons. Every year about this time, Waimea boys’ volleyball Coach Bobby Kamakele feels the excitement only an
Waimea preseason boys’ tourney in its 14th year
By JASON
GALLIC
TGI Sports Editor
WAIMEA — It’s been the same story for 13
seasons. Every year about this time, Waimea boys’ volleyball Coach Bobby
Kamakele feels the excitement only an impending season can bring.
Make it
14.
This Friday and Saturday, Kamakele and Waimea High School will host the
Waimea Invitational. This year’s installment will pull in five off-island
schools. Three — Honoka’a, Wai’akea and Kohala — from the Big Island, and two
— Lutheran and Castle — from Honolulu.
Combine those team with Kapa’a and
Kaua’i High Schools, as well as two groups from Waimea, and a nine-team
preseason tournament ensues. Play begins with a Friday round-robin at 11 a.m.,
and continues Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Waimea Gym. There is no charge to
attend.
“The KIF (Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation) is wide open this
year,” Kamakele said, “so this tournament will be a nice chance for each team
to see the other.
“And it’ll be nice to play some other kind of teams,
too.”
Those expecting the same volleyball powerhouse names of past
tournaments be wary, however. Some of those will be playing in events on
Oahu.
“Punahou, the top school in the state, came the past two years,”
Kamakele explained. “But they aren’t going to this year. No big
deal.”
Despite the fact that the season opener is nearly one month away,
Kamakele said the tourney is important.
“We, and all the other schools,
have been hitting against ourselves for awhile,” he said. “It’ll be nice to see
some other bodies.”
Teams will play eight games on Friday, allowing coaches
to get a look at many different formations and a host of player
combinations.
“I think I speak for a lot of coaches when I say that it’s
tough to see everything in practice,” Kamakele said. “You’ve got to see how a
kid is going to react in a game situation.
“So these kids will be trying to
impress.”
Except, Kamakele explained when the KIF teams play each
other.
“You kind of have to hold something back when you play the island
teams,” the coach said. “Can’t be showing them everything this early in the
game.”
Kaua’i High School, which ended among the top four, was the
top-finishing school from the island at last year’s tourney.
