In the mind of Kaua’i boys coach Shawn Doo, this was written before the season’s first volley or jump serve. Which is to say, in his first year running the varsity team, Doo was quite confident that his team would
In the mind of Kaua’i boys coach Shawn Doo, this was written before the
season’s first volley or jump serve.
Which is to say, in his first year
running the varsity team, Doo was quite confident that his team would end with
a Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation championship, and thus, a trip to the state
tournament.
“We knew what we wanted,” Doo said. “And we knew what we
thought we could do, and that was win this thing. But it was more of a
challenge than I really expected.”
So, as the Red Raiders prepare to begin
play in the state tournament – this is the team’s third consecutive trip – Doo
extends many thanks to the KIF challenges faced this year at the hands of
Waimea and Kapa’a.
“I’m so glad that Bobby [Kamakele, head coach at Waimea]
and Manny [Henriques, Kapa’a] had such good teams this year,” Doo said. “Every
game was a battle, and that can only help us at states.
“No game there is
going to be a gimmie, and we didn’t get any gimmies this year.”
Kaua’i
finished 6-2 in the KIF this year. Last season the Raiders were 7-1 in league
play, and were dismissed after two days of pool play at the state
tournament.
“The KIF was a little bit too easy last year,” said Doo, who
was an assistant in 1999. “So we went over there and it was tough. But we were
still right there, with a chance to win some of our matches. It just didn’t
work out.”
Indeed, there was a chance for at least one victory last year.
The Red Raiders took the first game of their first match against Kalaheo 15-13
before falling 15-11, 15-9 in the next two. Kaua’i then lost to Seabury Hall
15-3, 15-9 in its second pool match.
Working in the Red Raiders’ favor is
the fact that this year’s seniors endured last season’s losses.
“All of
this year’s seniors got significant playing time last year,” Doo said. “So they
definitely know what to expect over there, and hopefully won’t be rattled by
the fact that they are playing in states.”
That core group of seniors saw
about 90 percent of the game-time action this season. They were Mark Rodrigues,
Jason Kashiwabara, Matt Fujikawa, Matt Miguel, Cole Brandeburg, David Medeiros
and Mauricio Fabro.
Despite the talent in that list, Doo was clear on the
fact that Miguel will be, as he has been this season, the key to Kaua’i’s
success this week.
“As our setter, he’s the most important player on the
floor,” the coach said. “He’s done a great job of mixing things up this year.
In the beginning of the season, he was setting our middle [blockers] a lot,
then Mark in the middle of the season and by the end everybody he was setting
everybody equally.
“That’s what we need, the ability to work it
around.”
Doo said that he likely will go with the six starters – Rodrigues,
Kashiwabara, Fujikawa, Miguel, Medeiros and Fabro – who began matches for most
of the season.
Brandeburg is also part of that regular rotation.
But
Doo will not be afraid to use junior Lionel Tomacder. The 5-foot-7 outside
hitter made a strong case for playing time not long after the beginning of the
season’s second half as a fill-in for an injured Fabro.
“I just tell my
boys that whatever six players are in the game need to be going all out,” Doo
said. “We all have to bring our best games at the state level.”
Photo
by DENNIS FUJIMOTO, Staff
The kaua’i boys volleyball team poses for an
early-season team shot outside their home gym. The Raiders, along with the
girls team, travel to Oahu Tuesday to compete in the 2000 Nissan State
Volleyball tournament.
