Konawaena earns rematch with HPA for title

Konawaena wanted an all-Big Island final.

Chanelle Molina made sure the Wildcats got it.

Molina, a sophomore, used that motivation to hammer 18 kills and 13 digs as Konawaena defeated Waimea 25-20, 25-14, 25-23 in the Division II semifinals of the New City Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championships on Thursday night at McKinley High.

Molina’s sister, Celena, added eight kills and 18 digs. Konawaena will face BIIF rival Hawaii Prep for the title tonight at 7 at McKinley.

“We lost in the BIIF so we wanted to redeem our loss,” Chanelle Molina said. “We’re all friends off the court, but on the court it’s game time. Every time we step on that court, we just play all out.” 

First-year head coach Ainsley Keawekane is looking forward to the chance to avenge the Wildcats’ BIIF championship loss as much as his players.

No matter the outcome, the BIIF will earn its first state title in volleyball since Hilo’s win in 1974.

“I’m excited it’s an all-Big Island final,” Keawekane said. “We beat them in three in regular season, we were season champs. They beat us in five in the BIIF tournament. This is the rubber match. They know how we play, we know how they play. I believe the team that makes the least mistakes is the one that’s going to win.”

Whether it was nerves or fatigue, both teams came out flat in Set 1 with five service errors and 10 hitting errors. 

Waimea took an early 9-6 lead, but the Wildcats pulled away on a 10-1 scoring run, ignited by McKenna Ventura’s overpass kill. The Menehunes fought back within three, but Ventura pounded another kill off the chest of a Waimea passer to steal the momentum at 20-16. Konawaena libero Ela Seier made several critical saves, including a one-handed open-palmed dig, and took away Waimea’s sharp angle to force a Menehune hitting error at 23-19. 

Konawaena’s Kaela Avanilla used her explosive jump to put away the last two kills of the set, finishing the game with a hard-driven angle spike between two defenders. 

The Wildcats really took off in Set 2. 

Konawaena led 14-8 before Waimea called its first timeout. Waimea coach Chad Delanoza pulled starting setter Bailey San Agustin and threw in Alyssa Pigao. 

The Menehune’s ineffective backrow attack added to their woes as they couldn’t find an answer for the Molina sisters, who combined for eight kills in the set. 

Celena Molina’s kill and another Waimea hitting error handed Konawaena game point, which was scored by Seier’s second ace of the set.

San Agustin re-entered in Set 3 and brought back life to Waimea’s offense. The senior setter led the Menehunes on a 4-0 run to start the game, including two aces off Ventura.  

Waimea’s Kawena Warren added another ace at 7-2 and Ventura’s tip out two points later forced Keawekane to call his first timeout of the match. 

“I told them, stop thinking about the end of the game,” Keawekane said. “We have to get to five, then we have to get to 10, to 15, to 20, to 25. Get five at a time. We work hard for every five points and we’ll prevail.”

The Wildcats listened and Chanelle Molina provided a spark for her teammates, serving four straight points from the service line. Konawaena tied the match at

17-17 and earned its first lead of the game with an ace by Ventura at 22-21. 

Waimea’s Lei Alejandro used the block to earn two more kills, tying the game at 23. Avanilla blasted a stepout hit for game ball and fittingly Chanelle Molina’s final kill went off a Menehune passer and into the stands to end the match. 

Alejandro led Waimea with seven kills and seven digs. 

HAWAII PREP 3, ST. FRANCIS 0

Gabbie Ewing had a match-high 27 kills, eight digs and a block to lead Ka Makani to a 25-18, 25-20, 25-20 sweep of the Saints in the first Division II semifinal at McKinley.

Tiana Reynolds added nine kills and a block and Seychelle Francis had four blocks for HPA, which ended the Saints’ two-year run as Division II state champions.

Malia Luis-Mateo had a team-high 11 kills, Sierra Esperas added 10 and Pualehua Keola had 19 digs for St. Francis