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There is no rest for the weary, and especially a volleyball team on a mission.
That would be Na Menehune of Moanalua, who got another balanced attack for a 25-18, 25-12, 25-17 sweep of previously unbeaten Leilehua on Thursday night in the OIA Red boys volleyball playoffs.
A crowd of about 500 watched at Farrington’s Richard Kitamura Fieldhouse. Fourth-ranked Moanalua (14-0) is now in the driver’s seat of the double-elimination tourney, while No. 7 Leilehua (13-1) will face No. 9 Kalaheo on Tuesday at McKinley in an elimination match.
The Leilehua-Kalaheo winner will take on Moanalua on Thursday at McKinley. If Na Menehune win, the OIA crown is theirs. If they lose, a winner-take-all match will follow on Saturday at Farrington.
It was another resounding victory for Moanalua, which got 11 kills from Luuga Vailuu, eight kills apiece from Dustin Carrier and Karson Cruz, and seven more from Austin Matautia. Setter Skylan Engleman was on point all night, distributing from all angles and adding a few well-placed dump shots against a hustling Mules defense.
After losing the opening set, the Mules were close, down 8-6 before Moanalua went on a 7-0 run. Carrier sparked the run with two kills and two blocks as Na Menehune ran away.
The third set was tied at 7 after a right-side kill by Toma Savea, but Moanalua scored the next five points. The Mules got a block from David Tibayan, and after a hitting error by Moanalua, the lead was down to 19-16. However, Moanalua closed the game and match with a 6-1 run. Cruz had a kill and a roof of Tibayan as Na Menehune finished strong.
Despite Moanalua’s perfect OIA mark, Engleman sees room for improvement.
"I don’t think we’re peaking yet. We always have to get back to the grindstone at practice and work on the little things," he said.
Engleman has barely stopped to catch his breath. He and libero Sixto Amian teamed up to win last summer’s beach volleyball exhibition championship at Kuhio Beach. Moanalua won’t even get today — Good Friday — completely off. Coach Alan Cabanting will have his team working out at 9 a.m., then they’ll have the rest of the holiday to enjoy.
"We have to sleep early tonight," Engleman said. "We’ve been discussing this goal for a while. Hopefully, we keep our heads on our shoulders and stay healthy."
Moanalua was ready for Leilehua’s offensive tendencies.
"Coach said to stay wide. They tip a lot," Amian said.
Cabanting is enjoying his team’s balance and depth. His team thrives whether or not Matautia, an All-State Fab 15 selection last year, is their kill leader or not.
"The guys are getting to where we need to be in time for the state tournament," he said. "Everybody understands their roles and responsibilities. As they execute, they get better and we should be peaking at the state tournament."
Leilehua never got into a rhythm, unlike its performance in recent playoff matches. Much of that had to do with Moanalua’s defense at the net and a passing game that made Engleman’s work simple. Since OIA Red play began, no team has taken a set off Na Menehune.
The teams met at the Longy Okimoto preseason tournament, a two-set sweep by Moanalua.
"In a nutshell, we didn’t play to our potential. The pressure was there," Mules coach Ernest Balignasay said. "Moanalua does the same thing they did in preseason. They run a quick system. Hopefully, we can win (against Kalaheo)."