Top-seeded
By Catherine E. Toth
Kamehameha rolls
Special to the Star-BulletinThe question isn't who's going to win the Nissan Hawaii High School Athletic Association Girls Volleyball Tournament? It's who's finishing second?
Top-seeded, and still undefeated, Kamehameha blew past the competition yesterday at Kekuhaupio Gym, defeating Kaiser, 15-7, 15-9, and Hilo, 15-6, 15-9. And mostly with its second team.
Even the players couldn't think of a team they couldn't beat.
"Well, no one, not really," said junior setter Uila Crabbe.
"Our biggest competitor is ourselves," said junior middle blocker Nohea Tano, who put down five kills and four aces against Hilo.
But head coach Dan Kitashima hesitates to count any team out.
"There's always that possibility," he said. "The girls have a tendency to play at whatever level (the other teams are) playing at, so we're really working on that. All the teams here are champions, representing their leagues. So they all deserve to be here. We don't overlook anybody."
With 6-foot-2 All-American outside hitter Lily Kahumoku igniting the offense, the defending state champion Warriors seem unstoppable. Although she sat on the bench most of the match against Hilo, Kahumoku managed to rack up five kills and two aces.
"I think everybody thinks she's so intimidating," Kitashima said. "The good thing about her this year is that she draws a lot of attention to us and so our other players, especially our middles, are having a fantastic year."
That includes middle blocker Kealani Kimball. The 5-10 junior has one of the highest kill averages on the team. Against Hilo, she put away five kills.
Crabbe, Kamehameha's team captain, said the reason for the team's success is the ability of the players to come together.
"We have all the talent, but we learned how to put that together," she said.
Hilo's head coach Catherine Kaide had to agree.
"They're just solid," she said. "I thought we could (upset Kamehameha) on the same court after Molokai (upset Farrington). But we're chalking the loss up as a learning experience."
Molokai's sweep of Farrington proved to be too much for the second-seeded Governors, who fell later to Punahou, 15-8, 15-11.
The Buffanblu, who defeated Molokai earlier in a grueling three-set match, 15-5, 12-15, 15-9, came into the match against the Govenors fired up.
"I think they just starting believing in each other more and they knew that we had a game plan," Punahou head coach Diana McKibbin said. "We were more consistent in all areas."
The game plan, according to McKibbin, was to pick up balls and serve tough. Mission accomplished. Against Molokai, the Buffanblu recorded 71 digs, with four players posting double-digit dig figures. Against Farrington, they racked up nine aces.
"We really wanted this game," said senior setter Jyoti Mau, who coupled her 10 digs with four aces against Molokai.
"We knew Farrington would have big blockers and hitters," said freshman starting outside hitter Michelle Look, who had five kills and two aces against the Oahu Interscholastic Association champions.
Third-seeded Konawaena lost to University High, 4-15, 15-6, 15-12, but rebounded to beat Pearl City, 7-15, 15-9, 15-13. No. 4 Waimea defeated King Ke-kaulike, 16-14, 15-17, 15-12, but fell to Kaimuki, 15-9, 15-13.
Nissan HHSAA
Girls' TournamentToday's quarterfinals
At Kekuhaupio Gym
Kamehameha vs. Molokai, 3:30 p.m.