Volleyball will be played at all three of Kaua‘i’s public high schools when the 6th Annual Kaua‘i Challenge opens Aug. 9. Running through next Saturday, the tournament will feature high school varsity girls volleyball and will have a field of
Volleyball will be played at all three of Kaua‘i’s public high schools when the 6th Annual Kaua‘i Challenge opens Aug. 9.
Running through next Saturday, the tournament will feature high school varsity girls volleyball and will have a field of 24 teams participating including the tournament’s defending champion Vista Murrieta of California.
Kaua‘i High School coach Richard Roberts said this year’s field includes 12 teams from California including Buena High School, Dos Pueblos, Fairmont Prep, La Salle, Los Osos, Murrieta Valley, Notre Dame-San Jose, Oxnard, South High, Upland and Upland Christian.
Kaua‘i, Kapa‘a and Waimea high schools will be part of the Hawai‘i representation. Other schools from around the state include Roosevelt, Pearl City, Molokai, Hawai‘i Baptist Academy, Iolani, Mililani, Kamehameha Hawai‘i, Kalaheo and Kealakehe.
A total of 84 games will be played over three days with the finals being held at Kaua‘i High School on Saturday starting at 3:30 p.m. in the Po‘okela division.
According to a press release from Kaua‘i High School girls volleyball program, the tournament’s host, Thursday and Friday play will consist of pool play. On Saturday, all teams will be playing in one of three divisions — Po‘okela, Olinolino and Onipa‘a.
First games start at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Kaua‘i, Kapa‘a and Waimea high school gyms. Friday play starts at 1:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. at Kaua‘i High School Gym. The Friday schedule at Kapa‘a and Waimea high schools has games starting at 5:15 p.m. at each school.
A full schedule of games for next Thursday is available on the Travel International Sports Web site at www.tisworld.com under Volleyball, Hawai‘i tournaments, Kaua‘i Challenge.
Saturday play starts at 8 a.m. at all three schools. Tournament T-shirts will be on sale at Kaua‘i High School, and all three high school sites will have food booths with proceeds going to support the high school programs on Kaua‘i.
According to a release on the Travel International Sports Web site, the three-day tournament is sanctioned by the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association.
Shelton Tang will be the overall tournament and court director at Kaua‘i High School. Tang runs Impact Volleyball Club in Honolulu and is a volunteer coach at the University of Hawai‘i for the women’s volleyball program.
Dan Kitashima and Debbie Kooch will be the court directors for Kapa‘a and Waimea high schools, respectively.
Kitashima is a former head coach of the Kamehameha Schools Girls Varsity program with numerous state championships and a national championship.
Kooch runs the O‘ahu Volleyball Club and is on the committee that runs the USA Juniors Aloha Region Volleyball Program and has recruited the majority of the officiating staff out of the O‘ahu Interscholastic League.
The tournament which started five years ago with just eight teams is made possible through the generosity of the County of Kaua‘i Anti Drug program, the Office of Economic Development, the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau, Anchor Cove shops and restaurants, JJ’s Broiler, Waimea Plantation Cottages, Kikiaola Land Co., ResortQuest Hawai‘i, John H. Connors Insurance, Kaua‘i Sports Foundation, Kaua‘i Community Federal Credit Union, Kukui‘ula Development Co., Island School, Outfitters Kaua‘i, King Auto Center, Brennecke’s Beach Broiler, Jodi Matsumoto-Realtor, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, Travel International Sports, Omao Care center, Friends of Jimmy Tokioka, Borders Books and Music, Ibaan Table Rentals, Ventures, Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, Waimea High School and Kapa‘a High School.
For more information, call Roberts at (808) 482-0975, or e-mail 1peggy@hawaiiantel.net.
