KAPA‘A — The Kapa‘a High Warriors Wahines’ climb out of the hole started too late Tuesday, and the scoring buffer ran out against Waimea during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls volleyball games played at the Bernice Hundley Gym on the campus of Kapa‘a High.
Falling to the Menehune in three sets, 12-25, 17-25 and 24-26 on the varsity court, Kapa‘a’s junior varsity earlier dominated the JV Menehune, 25-9, 18-25, and 25-9.
Over at the Wilcox Gymnasium on the Island School campus in Puhi, mahalo to Waimea boys volleyball coach Tori Kagawa for helping with the scorers’ table for both the Menehune home games and helping the Island School team with scorekeeping chores. According to Kagawa’s report, the Voyagers took both ends of their series against visiting Kaua‘i High, the JV Voyagers winning 2-1 and the varsity Voyagers needing five sets to take down the Red Raiders, 3-2.
The JV Voyagers jumped to a 25-10 first-set win only to have the Red Raider JV rebound for a 25-21 edge. But the momentum waned and Island School claimed the final set, 25-21.
On the varsity court, the Voyager women extended play in the first set before claiming a 30-28 edge over the Kaua‘i ladies, who demonstrated a strong growth against Waimea in their second outing of the KIF season last Friday night.
That improved performance continued into the second set before the Voyagers closed the door, 26-24. The Raiders wouldn’t relent, and finally found the win column in the third set, 25-22, to force the fourth set that went to Kaua‘i, 25-20 and forced the fifth set tie-breaker that Island School took, 15-11, to end the long night in Puhi.
Over at the Bernice Hundley floor, Waimea broke away from a 5-6 deficit in the opening set on a string of serves from Haley Zina, who counted a pair of aces in the line of five unanswered points for a 14-8 advantage. Kalia Yaris and Ambrieal Kanahele added whacks that combined with Kapa‘a court miscues for the 25-12 final.
Despite trying to stay close in the second set, Kapa‘a lost the chase when Waimea pulled out of a 10-10 deadlock to serve up six unanswered points that were enhanced by Warrior passing and hitting errors and net violations. Waimea put away the second set away on a Kapa‘a multiple-hit error, 25-17.
Using the break to settle, Kapa‘a roared back from a 4-1 deficit, capitalizing on a trio of Menehune net violations and a strong hit from its middle Olivia Malafu for the 5-5 deadlock. Waimea’s Meiya Ramos served up a string of four points, including an ace tor the 17-10 bulge, only to have the Lady Warriors hammer back with Kyla Hopton putting together a string of seven unanswered points, including a pair of aces and hits from Vaiani Dubocage and Kanoe Haneberg for the 17-17 deadlock.
Waimea miscues gave the Lady Warriors its first solid lead, 21-19, but the Menehune responded with hits from Kaulana Hui Hui Caberto and Meiya Ramos. A solid hit from Kapa‘a’s Tiare Regina Morita deadlocked the set, 23-23, with the Warrior momentum rising on an Oliva Jenkins block for the 24-23 go-ahead.
The spark fizzled on a service error, and a Kapa‘a hitting error let the game escape as Waimea’s Cherish Tavita put away the night, 26-24.
Friday night should be exciting as the KIF enters the home stretch of Round 1, when Kaua‘i High travels to meet Kapa‘a at the Bernice Hundley Gym and Island School makes the trek to the Clem Gomes Gym to face Waimea. The JV games at both sites start at 5:30 p.m. with the varsity contests serving up 25 minutes following the JV games.
