WAIMEA — Waimea High School’s varsity boys volleyball team defeated Kauai High, 3-0, Friday evening at home. With the win, Waimea starts its Kauai Interscholastic Federation season 2-0. “It was a tough game. Judging by the first set, it’s another
WAIMEA — Waimea High School’s varsity boys volleyball team defeated Kauai High, 3-0, Friday evening at home.
With the win, Waimea starts its Kauai Interscholastic Federation season 2-0.
“It was a tough game. Judging by the first set, it’s another close season where anything can happen,” said Waimea head coach Alton Shimatsu. “Every week, we come in. We just got to work harder. By the looks of it, the KIF is another tight season this year.
“My boys, I’m proud of what my boys did — fighting through and coming from behind. There’s things we can build on,” he added.
In the first set, scoring went back and forth and neither could get the two-point advantage for the win. Tied at 28-28, a Kauai error and the set-winning kill by Menehune sophomore middle blocker Jacob Delos Reyes won Waimea the set, 30-28.
“It felt really great. That got the whole team pumped,” Delos Reyes said about that kill. “It boosted up the team, the coaches, everyone.”
Waimea then came from behind in the next two sets to win them both, 25-23 and 25-19, to win in straight sets in the team’s home opener.
“We don’t want to play in that position, but it shows me that their attitude and (willingness) to push and fight is up there,” Shimatsu said. “Like I said, it’s something we can build on. It will be good for the team and the program to build on that.”
Delos Reyes ended the match with five kills, a block and an ace for Waimea. Junior setter Carl Mecham had 14 assists and eight kills. Senior setter Briggs Agu had eight kills, six assists and two aces.
Junior setter Tyron Libarios had nine kills, eight assists and a block for Kauai High. Junior setter Jhay Karl Miguel had 13 assists and two aces. Freshman outside hitter Kaimani Tecson had five kills.
Kauai High varsity head coach Enoch Aana declined to comment after Friday’s match.
Kauai won the junior varsity contest, 2-1. The JV Red Raiders won the first and second sets, 25-21 and 25-13. The JV Menehune won the third set, 25-16.
Waimea will play at Kapaa (2-0 KIF) and Kauai High (0-2 KIF) will play at Island School (0-2 KIF) on Tuesday.
“We just got to come out ready to play again,” Shimatsu said. “There cannot be any excuses of the long drive or anything. We just got to perform and practice hard. There’s no other option. We have to perform at our best, and the boys understand that.”
