Overcoming weaknesses is a strength for King Kekaulike volleyball team

Things can get a little awkward at King Kekaulike High School girls volleyball practices.

Head coach Al Paschoal is forthright when it comes to his team’s shortcomings. In fact, the focus at practice often centers on fixing blemishes and individual imperfections.

“We put them in high-stress situations every single day,” said Paschoal of his Na Ali‘i (11-1), ranked 10th in the state. “That’s what we do. That’s how you grow.”

Recognizing his team’s limitations starts with player evaluations; strengths and weaknesses are documented, with emphasis on liabilities.

“If we only practice what we’re good at, we’re only going to get good at what we’re good at,” he said. “And the second we get pushed out of that box, we’re going to fall apart. So very rarely do we practice what we are good at.”

The sixth-year head coach is especially fond of this year’s Maui Interscholastic League championship team for its resilience and game composure.

“The one thing that surprised me about this team is how they can bounce back and how they always bend but never break. They have faced stiff competition and they have taken their lumps, but they always come back. If things go wrong they don’t shut down.”

King Kekaulike will test its moxie at the upcoming 2019 New City Nissan Girls Volleyball Championships, Oct. 24-26, at Moanalua and McKinley high schools on Oahu. Saturday’s championship match will be played at Blaisdell Arena.

Last year Na Ali‘i opened the postseason tournament with a quarterfinal loss to eventual state champion ‘Iolani. King Kekaulike was the only team in the state to take a set from the unseeded Red Raiders, who were led by two-time Honolulu Star-Advertiser state player of the year Elena Oglivie, a senior who will play at Stanford next year.

The Interscholastic League of Honolulu has won 35 of the last 36 state girls volleyball championships, and ‘Iolani claimed its third crown last year by knocking off top-seeded Kamehameha Kapalama in straight sets.

“We are fighting, we are working hard — I love this team,” Paschoal said. “They are working super hard every single day. There are no attitudes, there are no egos, they come to work. And I honestly don’t know if people thought we would be this good this year, but this team is getting it done.”

King Kekaulike was pushed by Upcountry rival Kamehameha Maui in their first two meetings this season, surviving both contests in five sets. In their third match Thursday, the Warriors came out on top in four sets.

In an interview before Thursday’s loss, Paschoal said the early pair of victories confirmed his team’s progress.

“We’ve played all 12 players in every single game but one this year. So they are ready to play, and the mantra all year has been, ‘You have a job to do, that’s your position, you’ve earned that spot, now you have to prove to us you can hold that spot.’”

For Paschoal the turning point came in the team’s second-round win against the Warriors on Na Ali‘i’s home floor, thanks in part to tenacious defensive play.

“I told them I was proud of them for where they went, and it’s amazing that you guys got there, you really took it to another level. Those digs down the stretch were amazing, and without those digs we don’t win.”

In the final stages of that match, senior outside hitter Montana DiSegna picked up two bullet serves, and junior libero Nanna Inoue got under another. Inoue had a match-high 32 digs.

DiSegna topped things off by delivering the final two kills, finishing with 18, tied with classmate Temahh Shaw. The team’s other two seniors are 6-foot-3-inch Eva Rueter and middle blocker Julia Wagner.

The starters include junior setter Lauren Albrecht, junior outside hitter Annika Sammberger and sophomore defensive specialist Kaysha Tanaka.

“I thought we would be exactly where we are right now, but they are better in their roles than I thought they would be,” said Paschoal, who has helped more than 50 girls earn college volleyball scholarships as their Hawaiian Style club coach during the offseason.

“We are always shooting to improve our awkwardness, always. You have to beat it (a player’s weakness) to the ground until there is some form of normalcy. If you don’t you are going to shy away from it, and the second it rears its head in a competition, you are going to be stepping back.”

Rodney S. Yap has been covering Maui sports for more than 30 years. Email him at ryap2019@gmail.com.