LIHU‘E — Alaina Villatora of Kaua‘i High School came up with the longest string of service points in the KIF volleyball season as she trimmed an 18-10 deficit to win game two and the opener of the second round Wednesday night.
Villatora never faltered, and each point was played out as she finished with no service errors for the night as the Raiders wrapped up the win, 26-24, 25-18.
In the string, Farren Higley combined with Tina Moger to slam ball after ball, a Higley hit down the middle knotting the contest at 18-18 before Moger put away the win with a kill.
Kapa‘a, led by the hitting of Am-niesty Ragsac and Poerava Gantt took advantage of Kyrie Simeona leaving the game with an aggravated shoulder, to build up an 18-9 lead before Gantt netted the ball, giving Villatora the serve.
The Raider men continued the winning ways by downing Kapa‘a in two, 25-18, 25-16 behind a well-rounded showing led by Futi Tavana’s hitting, and all-around performance from Justin McSheehy and Garrett Sakimae against the power hitting of Kapa‘a’s Ryan Cram, Billy Toy, and Alika Woodward.
With game two in hand, upgraded JV-er Clesson Lee was given a chance to play, rotating through two serves, and when Ryan Nagaoka made point 24 on his hit, the crowd erupted in cheer as Kapa‘a erred for the game point.
Kaua‘i split the JV series, losing the boys’ games 15-25, 19-25, while the Red Raider JV girls took Kapa‘a 25-16, 15-13.
Kapa‘a will host Waimea Saturday at the Bernice Hundley Gym with the JV games starting at 3 p.m.
Varsity games start no earlier than 5:30 p.m.
