It’s championship week for state preps

The Moanalua boys volleyball team will enjoy the benefit of playing at home until the final at this week’s New City Nissan/HHSAA Boys Volleyball Championships.

The OIA champion Na Menehune, who are ranked third in the Star-Advertiser’s poll, drew the third seed and will host the winner between Kamehameha and Waipahu in the first round on Friday.

ILH champion Punahou was selected as the top seed and will also play at Moanalua against the winner between Waianae and Mililani. No. 2 seed Kamehameha-Hawaii hosts the other regional and will play the winner between Lahainaluna and Kalaheo. MIL champion King Kekaulike will travel to Hawaii island for its second-round match against Hilo or Kahuku.

The semifinals are May 15 at Moanalua, with the championship May 16 at the Blaisdell Arena.

While boys volleyball is in a regional format, six other tournaments will be settled this week.

Girls golf starts it off with the David S. Ishii Foundation tournament on Monday at Waikoloa with the final on Tuesday and the boys will play at Waikoloa on Thursday and Friday.

The Wally Yonamine Foundation baseball tournament and Stanford Carr Development girls water polo tournaments begin on Wednesday, with their championships on Saturday. Campbell is the top seed in the Division I baseball tournament, which will be played at Les Murakami Stadium, and Maryknoll is No. 1 in the Division II tournament at Hans L’Orange until the final, when it moves to Manoa.

Punahou is the top seed in the water polo tournament, which will be held at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.

The Buffanblu have won each of the past eight state crowns. OIA champion Kahuku is the second seed, followed by third seed Lahainaluna and fourth seed Kamehameha-Hawaii. ILH runner-up Kamehameha will play Kaiser in the first round, with the winner taking on the Lunas.

An ILH team has won every tournament since it began in 2004 and has had the runner-up in six of the past seven years. A neighbor island school has never made it to the final.

The Carlsmith Ball tennis championships begin Thursday at Central Oahu Regional Park, with champions crowned on Saturday morning. Punahou’s Kawika Lam will be going for his third straight boys singles title, trying to match Punahou’s Bill Bartlett 1975-77) as the only boys to do so.

The first week of state championships wraps up on Saturday with the HHSAA Judo Championships at the Stan Sheriff Center. Pearl City will be going for its fourth straight girls championship and Kapolei will try to repeat for the boys title. Kamehameha’s Jaclyn Fontanilla will be looking to pick up her third gold medal as a junior.