It was the golden spike heard ’round the ILH.
While Moanalua posted a stunning third-place finish at the Best of the West tournament in Southern California over the weekend, Hawaii Baptist was back at the lab following a shocking 20-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-22 win over Punahou last Tuesday.
It is believed to be the first win by HBA over Punahou in league play.
“In a league match, this is the first time in my 20-plus years that we’ve beaten Punahou in Division I,” HBA coach Teoni Obrey said. “It’s a good win, the first match of the season. Punahou is basically the volleyball standard in Hawaii, but keeping it in perspective is also key for our team.”
In the win over Punahou, Matt Mokan had 16 kills and 14 digs and Jared Cruz had 14 kills and 11 digs. Sophomore Kamden Kaneshiro-Takeuchi had 12 kills and 12 digs. Jackson Lincoln, who just finished basketball season, added five kills. Caleb Nishimura, Cruz and Kaneshiro-Takeuchi tallied three aces each.
“We’re leaning a lot on our six seniors instead of leaning on one player. They all play key positions,” Obrey said.
The senior group also includes Jordon Qin, another two-sport athlete, and Skylar Takeuchi.
“That win kind of accelerated our confidence, but in terms of where we need to be or where we’re at, we’re still learning about ourselves. We return a bunch of guys, but we have them in different roles. Hopefully, as the season progresses, they’ll feel more comfortable and become more consistent,” Obrey said.
He also noted that Punahou’s top outside hitter did not play until the third set.
“He’s a difference maker,” Obrey said of Kahale Clini.
The Punahou dynasty has won nine state championships in a row — 11 of the last 12 — under coach Rick Tune. A young Buffanblu roster will need time in a league that is powered by talent and experience in 2023.
“HBA is a good team. They deserve it. They worked hard. They outplayed us,” Tune said. “The phenomenon in the league is a lot of teams brought back a lot of guys, and a lot of starters. We brought back seven guys and zero starters. It’s learning how to do things. They have to learn how to work together, overcome adversity as a group. We’re looking forward to seeing who can step up and lead us on the court.”
Mystique aside, Tune is in usual blue-collar mode regardless of wins and losses.
“It’s one of those things where I didn’t know what to expect. We have a lot of talent, but there’s a lot of learning and growing that has to happen when it comes to playing under the bright lights. I went into it with an open mind and take things as they come,” Tune said.
Projections for a storied program like Punahou matter not.
“We keep it simple. I don’t think about all that. All I do is think about how we can get better day by day. We learn from our last match, and take it day by day, not put too much emphasis one one match because it’s done and move forward,” Tune said.
The changing look of ILH boys volleyball is something coaches are ready to embrace, naturally.
“I think HBA’s (season) opening win was very well earned and simply a reflection of all the work that group has put in for the last several years. Coach Teoni has a veteran team with great leaders and they’re operating at a good level, as well,” ‘Iolani coach Jordan Inafuku said. “Punahou and Kamehameha are extremely talented and deep, and Mid-Pacific had a great preseason and are competing at a good level, as well.”
The Owls stayed in D-I, while Maryknoll moved to D-II before the season, surprising some. This year’s parity is not as surprising.
“This has been trending for the past few years,” Mid-Pacific coach Dave Stamp said. “The overall talent in the ILH is increased in the five years that I have participated. Punahou is having to replace seven starters that have competed together year-round for the past three years. I think it will be difficult for one school to dominate that same way over the next few years.”
MPI has returning talent in Cole Kodama, Kalani Aona and Petar Miocinovic. Rye Nicholson and Evan Allen are also among their key contributors.
Of course, there are two state-tournament berths for ILH Division I. After six seasons in D-I, HBA could be the team to beat.
“I think it just shows the depth of the ILH and how difficult the challenge is to get to represent this league in a state tournament,” Inafuku added. “It’s a challenge that we are very excited about and looking forward to.”
Moanalua makes its mark
Four days after HBA’s landmark victory, Moanalua finished tied for third place in the Best of the West gold division on Saturday in San Diego.
‘Iolani tied for ninth place and Kamehameha tied for 15th place, also in the gold division.
Na Menehune defeated Tesoro 25-20, 25-19, then ousted Mira Costa 25-17, 25-21 in the quarterfinal round. Moanalua lost to eventual champion Newport Harbor 25-13, 25-20 in the semifinals.
In pool play on Friday, Moanalua lost to Corona Del Mar 25-16, 22-25, 15-9, then won its next two matches, beating Sanger 25-17, 25-21 and Rancho Bernardo 25-18, 25-11 to finish second in Pool 3, qualifying for the gold division.
“Actually, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t know we could play as well as we did being this early in the season,” Moanalua coach Alan Cabanting said. “We played Corona Del Mar, and we knew they were a really good team. We went to three sets, and our guys needed a boost. We watched the match before us, and Tesoro took out Huntington Beach. They were really well balanced. If we could execute, we would have the confidence to hang with the guys.”
Kai Rodriguez, a 6-foot-3 senior, and 6-foot senior Justin Todd sparked Na Menehune.
“Kai was consistent for us from the service line, getting them out of system, anchoring the back row with his passing. All the guys contributed, but when Justin and Kai are on, we can compete with the best teams in the nation,” Cabanting. “It’s freezing here and the boys are enjoying San Diego.”
‘Iolani fell to Santa Barbara in the opening round of gold-division play 25-18, 25-17. The Raiders then defeated Mater Dei 25-23, 25-23, and took ninth place with a 14-25, 25-18, 20-18 win over Tesoro.
Kamehameha lost in three sets to Clovis East 25-22, 19-25, 21-19 in the opening round. The Warriors then lost to Loyola 25-17, 25-20.
‘Iolani was second Pool 2 after sweeping La Costa Canyon 25-13, 25-20 and Thousand Oaks 25-14, 25-16. The Raiders lost to Loyola 25-17, 25-19.
“Our team is well-balanced, and we depend on multiple positions to score points. Seniors Casey Lyons and Bryce Wong, and juniors Waipehe Winchester and Shaun Nakao share the load offensively, and junior Keegan Martyn anchors our defense and reception,” Inafuku said. “Each has worked extremely hard and have improved tremendously to get themselves in a position to compete this year.”
Kamehameha won Pool 7, defeating Mater Dei 31-29, 15-25, 15-11 and Highland 25-22, 27-25 before losing to Del Norte 29-27, 25-15.
Moanalua returned Sunday, then hosts Roosevelt today in an OIA regular-season opener.
‘Iolani will play at Punahou on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Kamehameha will host Hawaii Baptist.
