The heat was on and the Kamehameha-Maui Warriors couldn’t contain it.
The ‘Iolani Raiders scorched the MIL champions with 12 aces, including seven by 6-foot-3, jump-serving Cole Hogland, in a 25-21, 25-17, 25-16 sweep on Thursday night at sultry McKinley Student Council Gymnasium.
‘Iolani (9-2), runner-up from the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, advanced to the semifinal round of the New City Nissan/HHSAA Boys Volleyball State Championships. The Raiders will meet Moanalua in a 5 p.m. match today at Moanalua’s gym.
“If we play them, that’s the team that beat us in the semifinal last year,” Hogland said of the OIA’s perennial powerhouse, Moanalua.
Hogland led ‘Iolani with 13 kills. Kawika Lee added 12 kills and one ace, and Ryan Van Cantfort tallied nine kills and two aces. Shane Harimoto dished 35 assists, using his arsenal of hitters left, right, middle and back row.
Iverson Dudoit hustled for a team-high eight kills as the previously unbeaten Warriors (14-1) suffered their first loss.
“All season, we never played competition like ‘Iolani. We never had the experience of adjusting to their speed,” KS-Maui coach Robert Brede said. “We never saw tough serves like that. No. 11 (Hogland) serving, we just weren’t prepared for that.”
The Warriors were resilient, digging and challenging the Raiders.
“Honestly, we weren’t able to get anything on them,” ‘Iolani coach Jordan Inafuku said about pregame scouting. “They pass pretty well and get the ball to the antenna quickly. Hat’s off to them, that’s a scrappy defense. I’m really proud of our guys. Our boys are excited, and we’re hoping to play better tomorrow.”
The going was often rough for the MIL champions, who were outmatched by the athletic, taller Raiders. ‘Iolani saw KS-Maui hitter Hinano Long rack up four early kills, then smothered him the rest of the way (one kill, four hitting errors).
Austin Peters finished with 23 assists, three kills and two blocks for the Warriors. Long, Ethan James and Raphael Adolpho chipped in five kills each. KS-Maui finished with one ace.
In Game 1, the visiting Warriors stayed close, thanks to the crafty touch of middle/outside Adolpho, who had four kills. The Raiders took a 7-4 lead after an ace by Hogland, who added a block and a kill from the middle to open it to 15-11.
KS-Maui cut the lead to 19-17 as Peters worked with Adolpho for a mix of kills from the middle and right side. ‘Iolani pulled away with kills from Hogland from the right side, Van Cantfort — on a dish from libero Jarin Simon — and Hogland in the middle.
The second set was more about ‘Iolani’s depth and balance than anything the MIL champions did wrong. KS-Maui got within 12-11 after two hitting errors by the Raiders, but ‘Iolani went on a 9-0 run. Kills by Hogland, Lee and reserve Mitchell Marabella — on feeds from backup setter Trevor Tamura — sparked the onslaught.
In taking the second set, ‘Iolani amassed eight aces — three by Hogland, two apiece by Ethan Wescoatt and Van Cantfort and one by Lee.
The Warriors took a 6-4 lead in the third set, getting a whopping four blocks, including three from Dudoit as he hustled wide to cover Lee. Harimoto went to a heavy diet of Lee, Hogland and middles Carter Kamana and Kilo Scanlan as the Raiders rallied and opened a 16-12 lead.
Back-to-back aces by Hogland made it 20-12 as the ILH runners-up went on to complete the sweep.
Moanalua 3, Kamehameha-Hawaii 0
Second-seeded Na Menehune withstood a brisk challenge from the BIIF runner-up Warriors for a 25-15, 25-21, 25-9 sweep in the other quarterfinal at McKinley.
Kainoa Ferguson was an all-points weapon for OIA champion Moanalua (15-0) with eight kills, 5.5 blocks and four aces. Kalai Leopoldo had a team-high 10 kills with two aces, and Max Slaughter added six kills. Nicholas Au (18 assists) and Kylan Tomita (seven assists) delivered with precision all match long.
Isaiah Nakoa-Oness led KS-Hawaii (12-4) with 10 kills. Kamau Maka‘iko added five kills and Nalu Kahapea chipped in four. Davin Masanda dished 14 assists.
“It’s going to be very different when we play ‘Iolani,” Moanalua coach Alan Cabanting said. “They have talent everywhere, but we’re serving much better now.”
The opening set went back and forth, tied at 9 before Na Menehune went on a 13-3 run. Duncan Clark had two aces and Ferguson was everywhere with blocks — three in the opening set — and a kill during the run.
Moanalua had five hitting errors (.150) in the first set, but had a big edge at serve with four aces and just three service errors to KS-Hawaii’s no aces and seven service errors. Thanks to Ferguson, Moanalua also outblocked the Warriors 4-0.
The second set was in range for KS-Hawaii, which trailed 20-18 after a kill by Nalu Kahapea. However, Moanalua scored the next three points, and Ferguson’s roll shot from the right side ended the game.
Punahou 3, Mililani 0
Ryan Wilcox led the top-seeded Buffanblu with 13 kills, two blocks and two aces in a 25-12, 25-21, 25-10 sweep of the Trojans. Punahou (11-0) is on a quest for its seventh state title in a row.
Kana‘i Akana added nine kills and Jameson McKibbin had 26 assists. Punahou will meet BIIF champion Kealakehe in a 7 p.m. semifinal today.
Nate Johnson paced the Trojans with seven kills. Caleb Pascual added five kills and Chance Guillermo had 13 assists.
Mililani (10-4), the third-place team from the OIA, traveled to Maui and beat the Sabers on Monday in the opening round.
Kealakehe 3, Waipahu 1
Anthony Trevino drilled 24 kills and Isaiah Hooper added 18 as BIIF champion Kealakehe defeated Waipahu 25-17, 20-25, 25-16, 25-14 in quarterfinal action at Moanalua gym.
Ikaika Pali dished 44 assists and added 11 digs for the Waveriders (14-2).
Waipahu (11-5), the OIA’s sixth-place team, reached the quarters with an upset of league runner-up Kaiser on Monday. Bradley Tacata had a team-high 21 kills and Ken Sachio Boctot added 14 with a team-high 10 digs. Michael Tacata had 19 assists and Ecxequiel Gamboa added 18.
Division II
Pearl City 3, Hawaii Prep 0
Jeremiah Perfanos-Taamu had 12 kills and four aces and Zion Tupuola-Fetui added 11 kills as the Chargers defeated Ka Makani 25-23, 25-23, 25-19.
Cameron Reimer had 26 assists and Eric Schlitzkus recorded 16 digs for Pearl City (7-6).
Kala Thurston had seven kills and Ryoma Sakakibara finished with 14 digs for Hawaii Prep (7-9).
St. Francis 3, Konawaena 0
Mofuike Hafoka had 13 kills and Jesus Garcia recorded 36 assists as the Saints beat the Wildcats 25-17, 25-17, 25-21.
Walter Berthold added 16 digs for Saint Francis (11-2).
Nalu Frias had seven kills and Darren Poopaa registered 18 assists for Konawaena (7-9).
Molokai 3, Kalani 2
Rockwell Adolpho had 27 kills and Nainoa Kahale added 13 as the Farmers outlasted the Falcons 25-23, 17-25, 25-19, 27-29, 15-10.
Keinson Alcon finished with 42 assists and Chevy Agustiro added 19 digs for Molokai (13-3).
Keoni Thiim had 31 kills, Seth Tina added 16 and Leimana Naki recorded 52 assists for Kalani (7-7).
Kapaa 3, University 2
Kiran Costa had 20 kills and Rusdan-Rocket Ahuna finished with 40 assists as the Warriors rallied to beat the Jr. ’Bows 19-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-8.
Justin Paleka added 26 digs for Kapaa (12-1).
Joshua Awai had 15 kills, Trent Goo Sun registered 40 assists and Isaiah Kalima-Izuma added 27 digs for University (8-5).
Correction: Anthony Trevino had 24 kills for Kealakehe. An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect first name.
