Kan paces Punahou past MPI

If anyone is ready for the grind of one of the nation’s finest girls volleyball leagues, it may be Carly Kan.

The senior outside hitter, coming off a 12-kill performance in a first-round-clinching win over Kamehameha on Monday, buried 16 more kills on Tuesday in a 25-17, 25-13, 28-26 win over No. 10 Mid-Pacific.

The win opened second-round play in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu for No. 1 Punahou (11-1), which had fallen to No. 2 Kamehameha on Friday, necessitating a tiebreaker match on Monday. Three matches in five days, not a problem for Kan.

She hit .467, including just two hitting errors in 30 swings, and added a block for the defending state champions. Tayler Higgins was her usual steady self with 37 assists, four kills on dump shots, and two of Punahou’s four aces. Remo Gaogao added six kills, while middles Claire Feeley (six kills), Brittney Markwith (three kills, two blocks) and Marissa Behrens (four kills) provided ample firepower.

"I feel good. They came up on us and we had to fight through that," Kan said.

Punahou overcame a strong showing by MPI’s left-hander, Michelle Robinson. The 6-foot senior pounded a match-high 17 kills and had two blocks. Freshman setter Madison Collier (25 assists, two kills) kept feeding Robinson, who had 51 swings (.255).

"I was sort of doing better than usual, but the whole team was, too. We had a lot of energy. We really wanted to take a set," said Robinson, who was a sophomore on the Owls squad that upset Punahou two years ago.

"She’s not only a good player, she’s a terrific kid," Owls coach Luis Ramirez said.

Punahou jumped out to significant leads in each set. The Owls got within 12-9 in the opening game, but Higgins connected with Markwith on a back set for a kill, Kan delivered a roll shot and Higgins dropped in an ace. MPI got no closer than three the rest of the way, with Julia Lau drilling two aces for the Buffanblu.

Punahou steamrolled to a 7-0 lead in the second set, powered by consecutive blocks by Higgins, the returning Star-Advertiser State Player of the Year. The lead stretched to 12 points in an easy Punahou win.

The Buffanblu had control at 21-16 in the third set before the Owls roared back with a 6-0 run. Kills by freshman Lekaleka Kiner-Falefa (nine kills) and Robinson sparked MPI to a 22-21 lead. The lead changed hands twice more, and MPI led 26-25 after a hitting error by Kan.

But Kan smacked a kill from the right side to tie the set, and Feeley roofed Robinson to give the Buffanblu a 27-26 lead. Kan then put the match away with another right-side kill off Higgins’ back set.

MPI fell to 4-7, but played some of its best volleyball of the season.

"Luis has got them consistently attacking," Punahou coach Peter Balding said.

Ramirez had mixed feelings about the loss.

"I’m disappointed we lost in three sets, but I’m happy we can take the best team in the state to extra time," he said. "They respect us. They don’t switch their team around."

The visitors hit .376 for the night, misfiring with only six hitting errors. MPI hit .244. The Buffanblu had seven service errors to go with their four aces. The Owls had two aces, both by Alexa Navarro, and five service errors.