WAIMEA – The lessons most often associated with growth and maturation also tend to come coupled with a fair bit of pain and frustration. On Wednesday night, Waimea coach Bobby Kamakele finally showed senior outside hitter Keola Karratti the product
WAIMEA – The lessons most often associated with growth and maturation also tend
to come coupled with a fair bit of pain and frustration.
On Wednesday
night, Waimea coach Bobby Kamakele finally showed senior outside hitter Keola
Karratti the product of what had been some serious schooling to this point in
the KIF volleyball season.
Karratti produced, registering a game-high 20
kills in leading the Menehunes (1-0 second half; 2-3 overall) to a thrilling
14-16, 15-8, 11-9 (time) victory over visiting Kapa’a (0-1; 2-3).
“We had
to hold Keola back a little during the first round of the season,” Kamakele
said. “We wanted to show him how to play controlled volleyball, and that meant
utilizing certain people in certain situations.
“Tonight, I thought we
brought it all together.”
At the season’s start, Kamakele was quick to
mention Karratti as Waimea’s go-to player. After the first match, the coach
admitted he wasn’t seeing the kind of effort that he wanted from the 5-foot-10
leaper.
“It’s been a little bit of a hard road,” Kamakele said. “Especially
when we were losing, but it was a good thing, overall.”
Wednesday night,
Karratti unloaded on Kapa’a. The senior mashed the ball through and around
blocks, and found the floor’s open spaces rather than just swinging away
wildly.
“He was seeing the ball very well tonight,” Kapa’a coach Manny
Henriques said of Karratti. “He was hitting around our blocks.”
Waimea also
got the best of Kapa’a in the season’s first match on Sept. 20. The Menehunes
then proceeded to lose three consecutive.
“It was important for us to get
off with a win again,” Kamakele said. “Now we just have to keep
improving.”
As for the Warriors, Henriques was visibly frustrated with the
play of his team.
“We had a chance to come in here and steal one, and we
couldn’t,” the coach said. “The problem is, we don’t have a step-up guy. When
we get a guy who wants to step up, who wants to touch the ball every possession
and make things happen, we’ll be a lot better off.”
Kekoa Chun led Kapa’a
with 10 kills. James Marques added 10 kills for the Menehunes.
Staff
Photo by DENNIS FUJIMOTO
