LIHUE — Kauai High School’s varsity girls volleyball team won in straight sets at home against Island School on Wednesday night.
The Red Raider girls swept the Voyagers — 25-13, 25-15 and 25-18.
“It was nice to see them connecting more and playing more as a team. I think we played well as a team,” said Kauai varsity head coach Kehaulani Regidor. “Some slumps in the third. (There were) some runs against us, and it’s something we got to work on — to stop any type of run against us.”
Kauai (2-1 KIF) cruised through the first two sets to win by double-digit margins, but found itself trailing in the third.
Island School (0-3 KIF) took a 12-11 lead on a block by Voyagers middle blocker Jane Hsu. A couple of kills by outside hitter Izzy Ancharski and a Red Raiders attacking error gave Island School a 15-12 lead.
“All the time, we get a lead, and we get kind of comfy,” Regidor said. “Their urgency to the ball gets slower. Something to work on at practice is to always be faster on their feet all the time.”
Kauai then responded with a seven-point streak started by a kill by outside hitter Darian Kealoha-Albarado, who later scored the set-winning ace.
“The seniors were stepping up. The captains, they were being more vocal,” Regidor said of working out of the deficit. “We had some brain farts, too, in there. We can’t do that against good teams. We have to work on that.”
Island School varsity girls volleyball head coach Kylie Silva was not available for comment following Wednesday’s match.
Kauai also won the junior varsity match, winning all three sets against Island School — 25-15, 25-13 and 25-18.
Kauai will play at Waimea High School (3-0), and Island School will host Kapaa High School (1-2 KIF) on Saturday. The JV matches will begin 5 p.m. and the varsity will follow.
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Nick Celario, sports writer, can be reached at 245-0437 or ncelario@thegardenisland.com.
