The Kamehameha girls volleyball team insists it returned from its recent trip to Las Vegas a different team, but the result it put up in Kekuhaupio Gym on Tuesday night is largely the same.
The second-ranked Warriors swept No. 10 Mid-Pacific 25-13, 26-24 in their first match back from the elite Durango Fall Classic, where they took eighth place. No. 3 ‘Iolani finished ninth in that tournament, sweeping through to win the silver bracket while the Warriors went winless against tougher competition on the last day in the main bracket.
"We are very happy with how we played against the top teams in the nation, and I think we came back a different team," Kamehameha coach Chris Blake said. "Mid-Pacific is a well-coached team. They play with a lot of fire and put us in some tough spots. I am proud our of our girls how they responded. We have a long way to go, but our goal is to play our best match the last match of the season."
The Owls rode Michelle Robinson in both sets, but she was nearly unstoppable in the second with six of her 10 kills. The Owls trailed the Warriors throughout the second half of the set and tied it at 24 when Robinson blasted a ball that Kamehameha needed five hits to return. Robinson gave it back with a service error on the next point, though, and Kamehameha put it away when Pomai Recca found the floor from the left side for her ninth kill. Tiyana Hallums matched her with nine kills for the match.
Kamehameha dominated the first set, taking a 5-4 lead and letting it grow from there. The Warriors outscored Mid-Pacific 11-2 when the Owls had the serve in the first set and 24-11 in the match.
The Owls have been through a gauntlet that rivals the Durango tournament, playing two matches each against the Warriors and No. 1 Punahou. Mid-Pacific, which was No. 5 when it entered the stretch, was swept in all four matches, but put up its toughest fight in the second set on Tuesday night against Kamehameha.
"We are in a tough spot in our season right now," Mid-Pacific coach Luis Ramirez said. "This team can compete. It is a matter of whether it can come out and put it together from the beginning. With a team like Kamehameha, we can’t wait until the second set to get going."
Mid-Pacific’s tough stretch continues on Saturday when it plays ‘Iolani.
Kamehameha (5-1) gets its first real test on Friday when it hosts ‘Iolani. The Warriors play Punahou on Sept 28.
