KAPA‘A — The Kapa‘a High School Warriors played its three best sets of the year Friday night to defeat the Waimea Menehune in straight sets at Kapa‘a. The Warriors took down Waimea 25-17, 25-16 and 25-18 to finish the first
KAPA‘A — The Kapa‘a High School Warriors played its three best sets of the year Friday night to defeat the Waimea Menehune in straight sets at Kapa‘a.
The Warriors took down Waimea 25-17, 25-16 and 25-18 to finish the first half 5-1 and eliminate any chance of a playoff.
Kapa‘a played flawless for most of the match and was led by Jeremiah Obrero and Nicholas Hantz. Obrero played with the same effectiveness he has had all season, and the Menehune had a tough time blocking the Warrior hitter.
One of the keys to the game was the play of Hantz. For the first time this season Kapa‘a was able neutralize Waimea’s Mark Kanahele. Hantz played a large role in getting himself in position to come away with a number of blocks on Kanahele and Waimea as a whole.
“We know (Kanahele) is a great player,” said Kapa‘a Head Coach Kapule Kaona. “We really worked our defense and blocking, and we knew his tendencies. We just had to know our assignments and try to get him out of his rhythm.”
Coach Kaona believes it was Kapa‘a’s best win to date, not because of what any one player accomplished but because the way his team played as a whole.
“I think it is the most focused we have been all year,” Kaona said. “The fate was in our hands and we controlled our own destiny. We knew it was going to be tough, but it was a real team win.”
Although Kapa‘a played outstanding, the Menehune struggled to get in its rhythm throughout the game. Waimea’s main problem was overcoming unforced errors, just as the Menehune looked poised to make a run, it seemed to shoot itself in the foot with errors.
One of the key moments in the game was midway throughout the first set with the score at 10-9 in favor of Kapa‘a. The Warriors then proceeded to roll to take seven of the next nine points and never looked back.
With the loss the Menehune now stand at 3-3 on the season, while the Warriors have distanced themselves with a 5-1 record.
“Waimea has a lot of tradition and loyalty,” Kaona said. “Had we let up at all, the outcome could have been very different. I have been telling our guys just one set at a time.”
