KAPAA – Kapaa High School’s boys volleyball team beat Waimea 3-1 in the team’s final home game of the regular season Friday. Kapaa (9-1, 3-1 in second round) overcame a shaky start in the early stages of the first set
KAPAA – Kapaa High School’s boys volleyball team beat Waimea 3-1 in the team’s final home game of the regular season Friday.
Kapaa (9-1, 3-1 in second round) overcame a shaky start in the early stages of the first set to win by scores of 25-22, 25-16, 15-25, 25-18.
“We maybe came in a little bit too relaxed into the game,” said Warriors head coach Kapule Kaona. “It was a feel-good feeling tonight being that it was Senior Night.
“We were kind of playing catch up in that first set … It was like, ‘Come on guys. We still got a game to play. Let’s worry about the celebration after.’”
Kapaa senior middle Nicholas Hantz said the team struggled with passing and servicing in the first set before the team settled down.
“It was just very quiet out on the court. There wasn’t a lot of communication,” Hantz said. “Once that started flowing, started talking more and got out of the hype of Senior Night and everything, then we went in our groove and got things going.”
Despite the loss, Waimea head coach Enoka Karratti said it was team’s best performance of the season.
“They were playing for one another,” the Menehune coach said. “They did it themselves. They took the lead. They fought back. They kept in the game all night. It was all on them.
“Of course, the outcome wasn’t what we were hoping for, but I think that this was the best game this season that they’ve played,” he added.
Waimea sophomore outside hitter Briggs Agu said the team played especially hard in this game.
“This game, we stuck it out and played until the end,” he said.
After the win, Kapaa said goodbye to the seven seniors on its team.
Warriors senior libero Jonathan Paleka said winning on Senior Night meant a lot to him.
“You start off as a freshman in JV and you see the seniors on their Senior Night all excited. The excitement was there. I just wanted to experience that,” he said. “(It’s) a little bit sad. I going to miss it. Still, we can learn from this, keep moving forward and strive for that bigger goal: KIF.”
Hantz added the team is still focused on what’s ahead.
“I’m stoked that we got the win, but at the same time we’re just focusing on the next game,” he said. “We’ll take it one game at a time.”
Kapaa will try to force a second round playoff when the team plays at Kauai High School on Tuesday.
“It is a very important game,” Kaona said. “We had fun. We celebrated and enjoyed ourselves. Now it’s back to work and let’s get that win on Tuesday.”
Waimea (3-7, 1-3 in second round) will host Island School on Tuesday.
At both Kauai and Waimea, junior varsity games will start 5 p.m. and varsity game will start no earlier than 6:30 p.m.
