LIHUE — The Kapaa High School girls volleyball team downed Kauai High Friday night at Kauai High in a five-set thriller. The Warriors advance to face Waimea High School Tuesday in a single game starting at 6:30 p.m. at the
LIHUE — The Kapaa High School girls volleyball team downed Kauai High Friday night at Kauai High in a five-set thriller.
The Warriors advance to face Waimea High School Tuesday in a single game starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea for the Kauai Interscholastic Federation second-round title.
Waimea took the first-round title, and a Menehune win Tuesday would wrap up the KIF title. If Kapaa wins, the two would play one more winner-take-all contest for the KIF crown.
Three teams — Waimea, Kapaa and Kauai — were tied for the lead entering Friday in a set of win-or-go-home games. Waimea had wiggle room because a win or loss against the Island School Voyagers would send the Menehune to the playoffs. Over at Kauai High School where the Red Raiders celebrated senior night, the victor would advance, with the season ending for the loser.
The result at Kauai High was Kapaa winning, 26-24, 25-23, 21-25, 24-26 and 15-8.
“The girls felt the pressure,” said Kauai Coach Kehau Regidor, completing her first year with Noelani Evans as coach. “They were jittery from the start.”
The Menehune made short work of Island at Island’s Wilcox Gymnasium in Puhi, closing its night on a three-set win, 25-15, 25-20 and 25-13. The Waimea junior varsity squad put the finishing touches on its undefeated season, downing the JV Voyagers 25-16, 25-9 and 25-10.
Kauai and Kapaa battled for the second playoff spot, going a full five sets and offering the capacity crowd an event worthy of admission, and honoring the services of two Red Raider seniors — Rachel Curnan and Kuikamanao Kanahele.
The Warriors, rolling on the momentum of its JV win — 25-22, 25-23 and 25-21 — got off to a strong start, taking the first two sets, 26-24, 25-23, behind strong court leadership from senior Rachel Pleas and service strings from freshman Maeha Piturachsatit and senior Tia Takasaki.
Kauai answered in the third set, coming from a 10-12 deficit and lacing the 25-21 win behind strong service strings from Jolea Pillos, who had back-to-back aces as the Raiders moved ahead 14-12 following four unanswered points.
Unforced errors pushed the Raiders to a 22-20 lead before Rebecca Zenger closed the door with an ace.
“Lazy got back on the team,” said Costa. “We had them, but broke down on our passing. Lazy was on the bus.”
The Raiders took the fourth set, 26-24, giving fans a show that was enhanced with lightning flashes and thunder claps that competed with the bleacher stomping and chanting.
Takasaki took the service line facing a 16-21 deficit and served up five unanswered points, including an ace before a Kauai net violation knotted the set at 21-21. Zenger ignited the crowd with back-to-back blocks for the 23-22 Raider go-ahead, only to have Kapaa’s Keani Tolenoa and Talia Washington hits give the Warriors the 24-23 nod.
Zenger and Pillos answered, coupled with a Kapaa hitting miscue for the 26-24 edge to deadlock the match, 2-2.
Kapaa’s Leipua Kaui blocked a hit and a Raider hitting error and net violation pushed Kapaa to an early 3-0 lead in the deciding fifth set. Hits from Tolenoa, and Lani Alo in the middle widened the margin to 14-6, Kapaa, and despite a comeback effort from Kauai’s Tiana Manera and Maria Gojkovic, Kapaa sealed the deal, 15-8, behind a Kauai passing error.
“The unforced errors gave them the game,” Regidor said. “Whoever comes and makes less errors will win.”
Costa, getting help from the cheering young Warriors boys volleyball team, was pleased with the outcome, crediting Kauai for being a tough team that came to play tough.
“Those girls are real fighters,” the Kapaa coach said. “We gave the team a new look. The girls we put in can do the job in practice. After lazy got on the floor, I wanted them to feel the heat in pressure. We got to go with the foundation. That’s all we got. We just have to play steady.”
