KAPA‘A — Kapa‘a High School girls volleyball fans had a lot to cheer about Friday night during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation games at the Bernice Hundley Gym on campus.
The five graduating seniors — Shayna Kamoku, Hailey Overmyer, Neva Carranza-Burkart, Tavehi Dubocage and Kaleonahe Hunt — all got touches on the court, to the delight of fans that filled the well-lit, repainted facility.
Despite the fan-pleasing action and touches, Kapa‘a came up short in four sets against Kaua‘i High, which was operating with just two players on its bench. Kaua‘i prevailed 25-19, 10-25, 25-21 and 25-18.
Kaua‘i also claimed the junior-varsity series, 25-22, 25-19 and 16-25.
Over at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea, the Menehune ladies, clinching the KIF title with its victory over Kaua‘i High, celebrated its graduating seniors — Malu Alquiza Kenney, Kaiea Hui Hui-Caberto, Halia Moriguchi, Kaimalie Alquiza and Braeanna Moises — with a straight-set win over the Island School Voyagers, 25-11, 25-17 and 25-11.
Waimea completed its night of celebration with a straight-set win over the JV Voyagers, 25-22, 25-22 and 25-13.
“It’s almost over,” said Jason Overmyer, Hailey’s dad, as he settled into a night of volleyball. “Hailey’s my youngest one, and she’s graduating. Just this volleyball game and girls basketball to go.”
Kapa‘a’s Dubocage kept the Warriors in the game during the first set, her whack pulling Kapa‘a ahead 10-9. Hunt, whose strength is in her service ability, followed with an ace to keep Kapa‘a within two points, 12-14.
The Red Raiders responded with back-to-back whacks from Elise Yukimura, and sealed the 25-19 deal with a solid Mikayla Alonzo slam.
Kapa‘a, facing a one-set deficit in the fourth set, capitalized on Kaua‘i errors to jump to a 7-1 advantage. The Red Raiders responded with libero Jaclyn Oshiro serving up a string of six unanswered points, peppered with whacks from Yukimura and Alonzo, knotting the contest, 7 -7, on a hammer.
Overmyer’s bang knotted the contest at 8-8 before Kaua‘i surged forward on hits from Alonzo, Zoe Carvalho and Nahe Bukoski, Bukoski continuing on to seal the night for the Raiders, 25-18.
With Friday’s results, the KIF champion Waimea advances to the New City Nissan Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II volleyball championships that run Dec. 8 through 11 on O‘ahu.
In order to participate in the state tournament, student-athletes, coaches and staff must be fully vaccinated or present a negative antigen or PCR COVID-19 test taken through a federal Food and Drug Administration-certified lab, or under an approved FDA certificate of waiver, within 72 hours of the contest.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
Sad to see that they are required to wear a mask while playing. It’s much harder to breathe with one on.