Shereya Ufuti had 10 kills and 10 assists as Kaiser swept Campbell 25-12, 25-19, 25-16 in the opening round of the OIA Division I girls volleyball playoffs on Wednesday.
“We came out and played our game. We focused a lot on teamwork. We were very smart with our ball placement and ball control,” the versatile sophomore said. “It worked out for us in the end.”
A spirited crowd of about 300 looked on at Farrington’s gym as the Lady Cougars improved to 6-5 overall. Kaiser will meet Moanalua in the quarterfinal round on Monday. Six teams from the OIA will qualify for the D-I state championships.
“Our young group needed to take care of our side of the court. We do that, we can play volleyball,” Kaiser coach Brian Downing said.
Ufuti, who also had two aces, has been a major factor since returning to the lineup. Downing said Ufuti spent most of her time at outside hitter until recently.
“She’s really calm,” he said. “I’ve got her setting for us. She’s huge for us. I find kids and because of her height, what is their best chance at the next level?”
Junior outside hitter Valo Sopoaga had five of her seven kills in the final set to stymie Campbell’s hopes for a comeback.
“She is a leader for us,” Downing noted.
Another junior, Hina Agbayani, was instrumental with 16 assists and three aces. Luna Ann Brown, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, had six kills from the middle and libero Macy Matsushima was clutch with five aces.
As a team, the Cougars had 10 aces. Campbell had four.
Anela Ahsing had seven kills and an ace, and Kiana Aniya tallied six kills and an ace for Campbell (5-6).
Kaiser had a 7-6 lead, then went on a 7-1 run behind two kills by Kylie Kobayashi and an ace by Agbayani.
Campbell battled back within a three-point margin, but the Lady Cougars closed the set with an 11-1 blitz. Four aces by Matsushima mesmerized the Sabers.
Campbell bounced back in the second set and took a 10-4 lead. Aniya had two blocks and a kill to give the Sabers a jolt.
From there, Kaiser methodically regained control. The Cougars took a 15-14 lead on a kill by Sopoaga and never looked back.
Campbell battled hard again in the third game, rallying from a 9-4 deficit for an 11-10 lead. Kaiser’s consistent serve limited Campbell’s attack. The Cougars closed the match with a 6-1 run, getting two aces from Ufuti.
Farrington 3, Pearl City 0
In the nightcap, the Governors swept the Chargers 25-22, 25-20, 25-13. Farrington (9-2) will play OIA West runner-up Mililani on Monday, 5:30 p.m., at Moanalua’s gym. The Kaiser-Moanalua match will follow.
