In a late October tradition about as reliable as Halloween, Kamehameha haunts the rest of the ILH and spirits away a coveted girls volleyball state tournament berth.
Yet even after the Warriors swept Mid-Pacific 25-22, 26-24, 25-18 at Kekuhaupio Gym on Tuesday night to cap the league regular season, there is still plenty of work to be done for the Kapalama crew.
Combined with Punahou’s defeat of top-ranked ‘Iolani on Tuesday, the ILH’s second state berth is still up for grabs. ‘Iolani claimed the berth from the league’s first round, while those three teams each went 4-1 in the second round, leaving things unsettled between Kamehameha and defending state champ Punahou.
After the matches Tuesday night, the ILH conducted a three-team card draw and determined Punahou receives an initial playoff bye, Kamehameha coach Chris Blake said. Kamehameha plays at ‘Iolani at 5 p.m. Thursday, but there also will be playoff matches among the three teams on Friday and Saturday, with sites and times to be announced.
“It is what it is,” Blake said of the convoluted format. “There’s a lot of volleyball to be played … our job is to win all our matches this week. That’s our goal.”
Warriors hitter Kayla Afoa, who put down 10 kills on her birthday, said her team will be ready to play no matter the opponent in the coming days.
“Anything can happen and we have to be on our game the next time we step on the court,” the junior said.
The Warriors have been to states each of the past 13 years, winning it all seven times in that span. Afoa described it as “definitely an honor” to try to uphold Kamehameha’s tradition.
“The past years have been so successful and it motivates us,” she said.
Blake took over coaching duties at Kapalama in 2003 and hasn’t missed a trip to states yet.
“We’re happy to be in that mix,” Blake said. “We’ve come a long way over the course of the season and our kids are working hard. They’re doing a lot of great things, and for us to be in this situation, we’re definitely fortunate.”
Kamehameha setter Lexis Akeo had 34 assists and kept her team’s offense running in balance — four players had double-digit kills. Kili Robins put down a match-high 14 balls, Brooke Ka‘awa had 11 and Shiloh Pelaras slammed 10.
But the Owls (6-9) were game in what would be their final contest of the season. Middle Romy Holmgren dropped one of her six kills to put MPI up 24-21 in the second set, on the cusp of squaring the match.
They just couldn’t close it. Pelaras had consecutive kills and Afoa completed the clutch 5-0 run with a dump-shot kill to take the frame and deflate the visitors.
“We had our shot,” Owls coach Tommy Lake said. “That’s kind of what our whole season’s kind of looked like, where we had chances at games and let it get away. Just one or two mistakes, the margins are so close. Kamehameha is such a good team athletically.”
The Warriors rode that momentum and were in control throughout the third set, putting it away without much drama.
MPI was led by hitter Lekaleka Kiner-Falefa, who hammered home 11 kills and directed four aces. Mapuhola Sekona added seven kills and four blocks and setter Madi Collier had 27 assists.
Punahou 3, ‘Iolani 0
The Raiders have waited since 2001 to clinch an ILH title, and the road just got a whole lot tougher.
Punahou swept the league’s first-round champion 25-20, 25-17, 25-17 at Punahou to force a three-way tie in the second round.
‘Iolani lost another one after the match was over, coming out on the wrong end of a card draw that will force it to meet Kamehameha on Thursday for the right to play Punahou.
