KAPA‘ A – The Kaua‘i High School Red Raiders added another trophy to their trophy case as the varsity girls nailed down the KIF girls volleyball title in two games, 25-18, 25-19 before a crowded audience at the Bernice Hundley
KAPA‘ A – The Kaua‘i High School Red Raiders added another trophy to their trophy case as the varsity girls nailed down the KIF girls volleyball title in two games, 25-18, 25-19 before a crowded audience at the Bernice Hundley Gym Monday night.
Kapa‘a, by edging out the Waimea Menehune Saturday night, forced the playoff game, hoping to repeat their earlier victory over the Red Raiders.
But, that was not to be as from the warmups, it was obvious the Red Raider ladies were on a mission as chatter peppered the warmups while on the Kapa‘a side, it was serious business with each player wrapped up in silent concentration.
Coach Chad Delanoza, acting in the absence of head coach Rich Roberts, smiled as he moved between the girls during warmups. “He has fun with the girls,” one parent noted. “But, he is strict with them.”
That showed as the Red Raiders controlled the contest as Warrior miscues gave the Raiders an early 3-1 advantage only to lose it on a service error.
Kapa‘a’s heavy hitters Amniesty Ragsac and Poerava Gantt were limited in the number of swings they had during the game with Jennifer Lindsey given the lead.
Lindsey’s hit pulled Kapa‘a to a 4-4 deadlock, and a Warrior block of Kehau Judd’s hit attempt compounded by a Raider error pulled Kapa‘a in the lead.
But, Tina Moger exchanged places with Judd in the rotation to pull Kaua‘i in front for good, mixing up an assortment of dumps, hits, and adding some blocks for good measure.
Game two shared the same scenario as Kapa‘a came up with four unanswered points for a 7-5 lead only to have the Raiders chip back behind more Moger hits.
A battle on the rightside proved the Warriors downfall as the officials overturned a Kapa‘a point followed by a series of service and passing miscues that gave Judd a string of six unanswered serves enroute to sealing the game as Kapa‘a blocker Britney Carvalho’s hit attempt went out of bounds.
Joliann Arzadon, normally setting for Kapa‘a, tried to rally the Warriors at 21-14 mark, the setter coming up with back-to-back kills from the rightside and following that with a hit from the opposite side.
But, hits from Moger and Judd sealed the fate of the Warriors despite a nice tandem block by Gantt and Arzadon of a Moger hit attempt at the 23-18 mark.
With the victory, the Kaua‘i High School ladies join the boys as KIF champions, the Red Raider boys finishing their season, 8-0, and while waiting for the playoff to start, noting that they are ranked number five in the state heading to the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) playoffs coming up Nov. 10-13.
The boys will be travelling to Hilo for their state championship bid while the girls travel to Maui for their state title bid.
