The drama refuses to end.
Kamehameha kept its ILH championship hopes alive with a ferocious effort, edging previously unbeaten ‘Iolani 22-25, 25-22, 25-14, 21-25, 15-13 at the Raiders’ gym on Thursday night.
A raucous crowd saw No. 3-ranked Kamehameha turn the tables on the top-ranked Raiders. ‘Iolani had won each of their three regular-season matches in four sets, then beat Kamehameha again in four sets on Saturday in the second-round double-elimination tournament. Beating the same team a fifth time proved difficult.
The teams will meet on Saturday at 3 p.m., at ‘Iolani for the round-two tournament title. If ‘Iolani, the first-round winner, beats Kamehameha, the Raiders will earn the ILH title. If Kamehameha wins, the teams will meet for the crown on Tuesday. Both teams have already secured state-tournament berths.
Kalaweloilehua Chock led the Warriors (13-7 overall) with 22 kills, three aces and one block.
“The other matches, we wanted to get to know our own team better. We know in round two, we have to play with a mentality of having nothing to lose,” said Chock, a junior.
Kamana‘o‘okalani Goldstein added 18 kills and one block, while Kalamakuokanaauao Crabbe tallied 12 kills and three aces. Middle Bella Amey had 11 kills and two blocks, and middle Alohalani Chun had seven kills and two blocks. Setter Tiahna Aldeguer dished 64 assists and had two aces.
As a team, Kamehameha totaled 10 aces, including two by libero Ashli Lum.
“For the past week, we’ve been working more on our serving, focusing on our form. I think it’s important,” the junior said. “I’ve got to admit, ‘Iolani is a tough serving team, but throughout the match we just got used to it and got more comfortable, and started to execute.”
‘Iolani was 9-0 in the regular season and 2-0 in the second round. Kamehameha was 5-4 in the regular season and after losing to ‘Iolani last week, got past Mid-Pacific in four sets on Tuesday to stay in contention.
“ ‘Iolani is very well coached. We take it in steps,” Warriors coach Chris Blake said. “One of our goals is to get better every day. One of our goals is just to win ILH. This is our first step to take it. For us, to play the way the way we did in this environment, it’s a big deal. I’m proud of how our girls fought.”
Freshman Taimane Ainuu led ‘Iolani (21-6 overall) with 17 kills and four blocks. Sophomore Poema Kalama-Kingma tallied 15 kills, while senior Callie Pieper finished with nine kills and two aces. Junior setter Bailey Nakanelua amassed 59 assists, three aces and three kills.
The Warriors jumped to a quick 3-0 lead in the fifth set on kills from Goldstein, Chock and Crabbe, but the Raiders rallied again. Blake was openly disturbed by an illegal block call on his team, but the Raiders surged ahead on a roof by Georgie Lee on Chock.
Kamehameha tied it at 5-all, 6-all and 7-all, but Lee’s tip kill and a kill by Kalama-Kingma on an overpass opened the lead to 9-7 for the Raiders.
Momentum swung back to Kamehameha. Aldeguer fed Amey for a kill down the middle, then delivered her second ace of the night to tie the game. After a hitting error by Kalama-Kingma, the Warriors led 10-9.
‘Iolani seemed to regain momentum after a kill by Annaura Reid-Gillet and a roof by Taimane Ainuu, tying the game at 11. However, Chock and Amey came through with kills for a 13-11 Kamehameha lead. Down 14-11 after a hitting error by Kalama-Kingma, the Raiders got within one point after a hitting error by Chock and a roof by Ainuu on Crabbe.
Chock then sent her right-side kill off the double block of freshman Reid-Gillet and Ainuu for the final point. ‘Iolani coach Kainoa Obrey disputed the call vehemently to no avail.
“We’ll be ready on Saturday,” he said.
The Warriors took command from the start, looking like a team operating on all cylinders. The Raiders looked like a team that hadn’t played in roughly a week, which was true enough. Kamehameha got an ace from Aldeguer and two quick aces from Lum en route to a 10-4 lead.
The home team got an ace from Nakanelua, which sparked a 9-1 run as the Raiders took the lead, 13-11. Kamehameha was resilient and tied the game at 16 on a kill by Crabbe on a set from Lum.
However, the Raiders had momentum, handling the Kamehameha serve more effectively. After Nakanelua’s third ace and a kill by Kalama-Kingma, ‘Iolani led 22-17.
The visitors pulled within 24-22 with a block and a kill by Goldstein, but Nakanelua fed Pieper for a kill to end set one.
Again, Kamehameha had the lead and its collective swagger to start a set. The Warriors got four kills in four swings from Amey to seize a 12-8 lead in game two.
‘Iolani’s serve continued to be a weapon. Pieper had back-to-back aces, and after Nakanelua’s third ace of the match, the Raiders were within 17-16.
Twice more, ‘Iolani was within a point at 18-17 and 19-18, but Lum’s back-row dig sailed over the net and the hustling Raiders couldn’t control the ball in their back row.
Kamehameha got a kill and a roof from Chock to open a 21-18 lead. A kill and an ace by Chock pushed the lead to 24-20. Aldeguer eventually fed Amey for her fifth kill in as many swings to end the second set, 25-22.
Set three began in similar fashion to the first two. Aldeguer connected with Chun for two kills, and a rotation violation by the home team helped Kamehameha open a 7-2 lead. It was the start of what may have been the Warriors’ finest set of the season.
Chock added two more kills and an ace, and after she sent a cross-court dish to Goldstein for another spike, the Warriors were in full command, 20-10. It was the quietest 20 minutes of the night for ‘Iolani’s normally robust student section.
Set four wasn’t so sharp for Kamehameha at the start with three hitting errors that allowed ‘Iolani to take a 4-3 lead.
Kalama-Kingma, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, had three kills and a roof as the Raiders surged to a 13-8 lead in set four. A couple of Raiders errors helped Kamehameha get within 16-13, but ‘Iolani’s block was relentless. A roof by Reid-Gillet capped a 4-1 mini-run to open the Raiders’ lead to 20-14.
Kamehameha rallied and got within 24-21, but Obrey called time out, and Nakanelua set Lee for the kill, evening the match at 2-all.
On Sept. 10, ‘Iolani won on the road 21-25, 25-15, 25-15, 25-16. On Sept. 17, the Raiders won at home 25-17, 25-20, 27-29, 25-22. On Sept. 27, ‘Iolani rode to Kekuhaupio Gymnasium and won 25-20, 27-29, 25-21, 25-22.
On Saturday, ‘Iolani prevailed 21-25, 27-25, 25-23, 25-14.
