KAPAA — Kapaa High School’s boys volleyball team defeated Waimea in straight sets in its season opener at home Tuesday. The Warriors won a competitive first set, 25-22. Kapaa then took its game to another level to win the next
KAPAA — Kapaa High School’s boys volleyball team defeated Waimea in straight sets in its season opener at home Tuesday.
The Warriors won a competitive first set, 25-22. Kapaa then took its game to another level to win the next two sets, 25-16, 25-17.
“I think there were nerves that were coming into that first set which made it a very, very close and very competitive match,” said Kapaa head coach Kapule Kaona. “Once they let the nerves settle down, then they kind of fell into a groove. We just tried to focus on our side of the net.”
Despite the win, Kaona said his team still has a lot to work on — specifically service errors and communication.
“As soon as we went in, we congratulated the boys and then started talking about the things we need to clean up in our practices moving forward,” Kaona said.
Kapaa senior middle Nicholas Hantz had three consecutive aces during the third set.
“We run through this stuff at practice and to get it in the game, the hard work paid off right there,” Hantz said. “But you can’t get anything without your teammates … We had to work together as a team to come out with a win and that’s what we did. So, I’m stoked about that.”
He added the team was successful in its home opener because it is full of experienced players.
“This is a senior heavy team. We have a lot of experience together from last year,” Hantz said. “We’re easy to gel together.”
Waimea head coach Enoka Karratti said perhaps the team had difficulty during the last two sets because it wasn’t able to move past losing a closely contested first set.
“In the beginning, we played like I thought we would — scrappy,” Karratti said. “We were so close and we dropped it. I think in the second set, we were still thinking about the first set.
“We’ve been trying to figure out what our team is about. It’s a young team, but at the same time, this is not their first go around as far as playing a volleyball game,” Karratti added. “That’s part of the growing pains we’re trying to figure out. Who’s going to step up and start leading the group.”
Menehune senior setter Brad Ceballos said serving, keeping the ball in and communicating amongst each other are a few things he expects the team will work on.
He added fatigue may also have been a factor during the last two sets.
“We were definitely more tired than what we were earlier,” Ceballos said.
Kapaa will play at Kauai High School and Waimea will play at home against Island School on Friday. The junior varsity games will start at 5 p.m. and the varsity contests are expected to start no earlier than 6:30 p.m.
