Punahou worried about its energy and cohesiveness. Visiting Waiakea didn’t have a worry in the world.
Way different mind-sets and destinations. Despite some sluggish play Friday, the Buffanblu swept the Warriors 25-16, 25-15, 25-16 in the Division I semifinals of the New City Nissan/HHSAA Boys Volleyball Championships at the Moanalua gym.
“I don’t think we played with a whole lot of passion tonight,” Punahou coach Rick Tune said after the win. “The players called themselves on it. I didn’t have to call them on it. They recognized it and are now aware of it and they’re forced with making a choice tomorrow.”
Tonight at the Blaisdell Arena, the Buffanblu (18-0) play Kamehameha-Hawaii (16-0) in the final, where a win would get them a sixth straight D-I state title and 35th overall in the event’s 49th year.
“Physically, everybody did a pretty good job,” Tune continued. “But it isn’t about individuals. As a team, the first thing you have to do is come together with whatever combination is on the court and you have to find a way to cohesively strive for synergy. I didn’t feel like we were doing that and the guys didn’t either.”
Ryan Wilcox (12 kills, .409 hitting percentage) and Ethan Siegfried (10 kills, .533) had the hot hands for the Buffanblu on the distributorship of Jameson McKibbin (16 assists) and DJ McInerny (11 assists). Robert Allen and Kana’i Akana clogged up the middle and combined for nine block assists.
“We were a little lethargic,” McInerny said about his top-seeded and Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion team. “Not exactly the way we wanted to play. It’s a reminder to come out with not just the intensity that we’ve had in past games, but maybe with a little more intensity.”
Koby Aiona (nine kills) and Nakana Labrie (15 assists) were the spark plugs for Waiakea, which defeated Kapolei in the first round Monday and got past Maui Interscholastic League champion and fourth-seeded Kamehameha-Maui in a five-set quarterfinal Thursday.
Friday’s loss didn’t take the fun out of the sport for the unseeded Warriors (12-4).
“It was a really good experience playing against a team like that,” Labrie said. “They made us get to a higher level than we were before. It was a lot of fun. We were just going to go all out, push all out, because we’re a team and we’re going to stick together and go hard no matter what.”
Labrie and first-year Warriors coach Napua Canda made it clear who they’d be rooting for tonight at the Blaisdell: Kamehameha-Hawaii, the team Waiakea placed second to in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.
“They got a chance,” Labrie said. “We have high hopes for these guys.”
Added Canda: “I will definitely be there to cheer them on. They’re peaking and they have a lot of chemistry.”
Waiakea’s appearance in the semifinals was its second in the past eight years and the Warriors have made it as far as the quarterfinals in seven of the past nine years.
Punahou played its smoothest volleyball in the second set, when there were only three ties and one lead change. There were eight ties in the first set and five in the third, when the Warriors led as late as 11-10.
Tune is looking forward to tonight’s battle against Kamehameha-Hawaii.
“They don’t have a lot of size, but they play with a lot of heart and they scrap and they just keep scrapping,” he said.
Kamehameha-Hawaii 3, ‘Iolani 0
The Big Island Interscholastic Federation and second-seeded Warriors improved to 16-0 by downing the Raiders 25-18, 25-21, 25-21 to advance to tonight’s D-I final against Punahou at Blaisdell Arena.
Avery Enriques sparked Kamehameha-Hawaii with 11 kills, and Nalu Kahapea added eight. Jai Makuakane and Kameron Moses split the setting duties with 13 assists apiece.
For ‘Iolani (14-5), Hugh Hogland put down a match-high 17 kills, Ryan Van Cantfort and Cole Hogland added eight each, and Koa Among chipped in with 15 digs.
Kamehameha-Hawaii is in the final for the fourth time in the past six seasons. The Warriors lost to Punahou in the championship game in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
Fifth-place Semifinals
>> Moanalua def. Kamehameha-Maui 25-13, 25-19
>> Mililani def. Waipahu 27-26, 22-25, 15-9
DIVISION II
>> Kapaa 3, St. Francis 0
Kurt Napoleon had 13 kills and Carson Schmick added 12 as the Warriors beat the Saints 25-17, 25-18, 25-14 at Hawaii Baptist.
Saxsem Shirra contributed 10 kills and Jayson Hawthorne had 38 assists for Kapaa (18-4), which will face Hawaii Baptist in today’s final at 5 p.m. at Blaisdell Arena.
Micah Kalei finished with seven kills for St. Francis (13-1), which will play Molokai for third place today at 2 p.m. at Blaisdell Arena.
>> Hawaii Baptist 3, Molokai 0
Michael Johnson had 13 kills and 13 digs and Davin Rausch finished with 30 assists as the host Eagles beat the Farmers 25-6, 25-16, 25-19.
Kellen Takatsuka contributed nine kills and Dru Pang had 10 digs for Hawaii Baptist (22-0).
Rockwell Adolpho and Michael Sterner both had eight kills for Molokai (13-3).
Hawaii Baptist has won the past six state championships.
Fifth-place Semifinals
>> Konawaena def. Farrington 25-19, 25-23
>> Hawaii Prep def. Castle 25-20, 25-19
