Punahou’s Ryan Wilcox repeats as boys volleyball player of the year

The bar, as always, is quite high for the Punahou Buffanblu.

The highest heights. The biggest ask. Coach Rick Tune’s system isn’t built for a spotlight star. It’s about teamwork. Intelligence. Accountability.

Ryan Wilcox kept answering the call. The senior outside hitter did all that was asked of him. Hitting from the left. The right. Sometimes the back row. Serving without peer. Passing with consistency. For the second year in a row, coaches and media have voted the 6-foot-3 Wilcox the Star-Advertiser boys volleyball player of the year.

“To be honored with this twice is really humbling. I wasn’t expecting it. It’s super cool,” Wilcox said. “What’s helped me get where I am is our practices are so competitive. We’re really lucky to have such a deep bench. Every day is a battle.”

Wilcox, setter Jameson McKibbin and opposite Kana‘i Akana made it a Punahou sweep of the top three spots. Libero Shea Suzumoto and middle Alaka‘i Todd made it five Buffanblu among the Fab 15 this season.

Floor leader Jon Stanley of Kaiser, explosive Cole Hogland of ‘Iolani and versatile Kala‘i Leopoldo of Moanalua round out the first six. Wilcox, who will depart for UC Santa Barbara soon, was a near unanimous selection.

“It’s all about efficiency for him. He’s not going to overpower guys. His opportunities come when the block gets faked out. Against two or three guys, he’s got to hit a smart ball,” Tune said. “Ryan is steady. He has a high degree of skill. He can pass, defend, has a wicked jump serve and attacks from anywhere. Blocking is the only (aspect) he will hone in on, but especially with his attacking, he has so many shots and great vision. He can dip into his toolbox.”

Wilcox had 17 kills with a .361 hitting percentage, four aces and five digs in Punahou’s 25-19, 25-16, 25-21 win over Moanalua in the Division I final of the New City Nissan/HHSAA Boys Volleyball State Championships. In the same match, McKibbin tallied 40 assists, one ace and six digs, and Akana had 13 kills, two aces and eight digs.

Wilcox also had 15 kills (.393), three digs and a block in a semifinal win over Kealakehe. Wilcox had 13 kills (.310), two aces and six digs in a sweep of Mililani in the quarterfinal round.

“What else is there to say about Ryan? The athleticism, the physicality, the volleyball IQ — he’s one of those kids who comes once in a blue moon,” Moanalua coach Alan Cabanting said.

“You don’t know whether to stand back or to come forward on his serve. When you stand back bracing for that powerful serve, he throws this soft roll shot into the middle of the court that only a few spin servers could do. When you come forward, he throws the powerful, aggressive serve that can catch you in the face if you don’t move out of the way. He can hit any kind of attack that he wants, based on what the defense is giving him. Whether he gets blocked or not, he comes back and gets a kill for his team. And, more importantly, he carries this humility on the court that allows all his opponents to respect him. He’s just a great volleyball player.”

Punahou (13-0) also won all matches in a tournament in Japan during the season. The Buffanblu have won a state title in each season that Wilcox and his classmates played. The streak is at seven years.

Dandi Holder of St. Francis was voted coach of the year after guiding the Saints past Kapaa in the D-II state final. Cabanting, who guided Moanalua to an unbeaten OIA season and a win over ‘Iolani in the state semifinal, was a close second. Kealakehe coach Kahinu Lee was a close third. Also receiving votes were Tune, Christine Christe of Radford, Kapule Kaona of Kapaa, Moani Nahulu-Mahelona of Kapolei, Wilhelm Wagner of Waianae and Hale Domingo of Molokai.

ALL-STATE BOYS VOLLEYBALL by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd