Some of the biggest names in high school girls varsity volleyball will be in action on Kaua‘i when the 9th Annual Kaua‘i Challenge opens, Thursday starting at 1:30 p.m. ‘Iolani High School, the 2009 Kaua‘i Challenge champion, will return to
Some of the biggest names in high school girls varsity volleyball will be in action on Kaua‘i when the 9th Annual Kaua‘i Challenge opens, Thursday starting at 1:30 p.m.
‘Iolani High School, the 2009 Kaua‘i Challenge champion, will return to defend its title against a field of 18 high school varsity teams, including Island School, Kaua‘i, Kapa‘a and Waimea high schools.
Dos Pueblos from California returns as a past champion of the Challenge and brings with it a No. 12 high school ranking at the close of the 2009 season. Redlands East Valley, another California team, comes back to the Challenge with a No. 35 ranking in the nation during the 2009 season.
Shelton Tang, coming off a season as an assistant with the University of Hawai‘i Men’s Volleyball Team, returns as the tournament director and will oversee the courts at Kaua‘i High School gym.
Debbie Koochi, manager of the O‘ahu Volleyball Club and involved with the USAV Aloha Region Juniors Committee, returns as the officials recruiter as well as overseeing the Island School gym courts.
Peter Kruse, longtime Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation official and tournament coordinator for the Ho‘oikaika Volleyball Club in May, will oversee the courts at the Bernice Hundley Gym in Kapa‘a.
Games start at 1:30 p.m. at Kaua‘i High School, Kapa‘a High School and Island School gyms with 60 games scheduled to be played over a three-day period, ending Saturday.
Friday play starts at 3:30 p.m. at all of the three gyms, and Saturday play start at 9 a.m., culminating with the awards and fellowship banquet at the Kilohana Pavilion.
Spectators arriving prior to 2:30 p.m. at Kaua‘i High School will need to park off-campus and walk to the gym.
Saturday play will have teams playing in one of three divisions based on the Thursday and Friday games. The divisions include Po‘okela, or gold, Olinolino, or silver, and Onipa‘a, or bronze for respective division championships.
As the tournament draws closer, visit www.tisworld.com/tournament/vb_kauai.html for complete schedules. Scores will also be posted on this website as play progresses.
“We are extremely grateful to our sponsors including the County of Kaua‘i-Office of Economic Development, the Aston Hotels and Resorts, Waimea Plantation Cottages, Travel International Sports, the YMCA of Kaua‘i, Ibaan Table Rentals, Garden Island Security, Times Supermarket and Hawai‘i Stream who will offer streaming of some of the tournament matches live to the Internet,” said Richard Roberts, the founder of the Challenge and a former Kaua‘i High School girls volleyball coach.
Roberts said the event also owes appreciation and gratitude to the school principals, athletic directors and coaches of all the schools participating this year, most notably to Kaua‘i, Kapa‘a and Island School for use of its gyms.
High school teams participating from California include Dos Pueblos, St. Bonaventure, Rim of the World, St. Joseph, Newbury and Redlands East Valley. Barrow High School comes in from Alaska, and schools from the state include Pearl City, ‘Iolani, Maryknoll, Hawai‘i Baptist Academy, Kaua‘i, Kapa‘a, Waimea and Island School.
If assistance or an auxiliary aid in order to participate is needed, or for more information, call Roberts five days prior to the event at (808) 482-0975, or e-mail 1peggy@hawaiiantel.net.
