For more than two hours, the power of Mililani had Kapolei on its heels.
The Hurricanes’ experience and composure made all the difference, however, in a 19-25, 25-20, 20-25, 26-24, 15-11 win over the Trojans on Monday night at Kapolei’s gym.
A polite audience saw Kapolei’s finesse-heavy attack make just enough plays on day one of Division I play in the New City Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championships. Senior outside hitter Leila Paraoan led Kapolei, the OIA runner-up, with 16 kills. She added 19 digs for the Hurricanes, who got 10 kills and 15 assists from Tehani Fa‘asuamanu, and nine kills and 28 assists from Anny Scott.
Scott also had a team-high 20 digs. Asa Parks tallied seven kills and 3.5 blocks, and Ayedasyn Vaesau chipped in five kills. Libero Kaitlin Kiko, one of six Kapolei seniors, added 16 digs and Tiana Dela Cruz hustled for 15 digs against a relentless Mililani attack.
Kapolei (21-9 overall) will meet BIIF champion Kamehameha-Hawaii at 7 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinal sub-bracket at Punahou’s Hemmeter Fieldhouse. Mililani, the fifth-place team from the OIA, had already beaten Kapolei in the Hurricanes’ gym in the OIA West opener on Sept. 5, 14-25, 25-18, 25-15, 19-25, 15-12. The OIA 2-OIA 5 (or 6) matchup has a history in several sports of an upset by the fifth-place team — just days after the runner-up had just lost in the league championship game.
“We didn’t play as a team at all,” longtime Hurricanes coach Naidah Gamurot said. “We have two days to fix that.”
Former Mililani boys coach Trent Niino, who last coached high school volleyball in 2019, is in his first season as the girls coach since the retirement of longtime coach Val Crabbe.
Junior Rylyn Kaopuiki-Kaikaina led Mililani with 21 kills. Kadence Wilson, a junior, added 16 kills and a team-high 15 digs. Right-side hitter Ivy Taylor, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, tallied eight kills, while Kealana Stephens had seven kills, 38 assists and 12 digs. Jaelyn Davis and Krislyn Bergantinos chipped in five kills each.
“Kapolei is a really good team, a very senior-heavy team. Their experience was the difference against our team, basically,” Niino said. “Being this was my first time coaching the girls program, I didn’t know what to expect. This group of girls was awesome. They fought really hard. They came into this match a little more loose and playing with more fun.”
The home team was crisp early, going up 6-2 on a kill by Paraoan. The visitors then went on a 10-1 run behind the serving of Justice DePonte, who had two aces to push Mililani ahead 12-7. A 6-0 run closed out the set.
The Hurricanes pulled within 19-17, but the Lady Trojans closed the set with a 6-0 run, getting two more kills from Kaopuiki-Kaikaina and two from Stephens.
Kapolei jumped to a 5-1 lead in set two and got aces from Kacy Miyahiro, Scott and Kiko, opening the lead to 22-15 en route to victory. Mililani got within 22-20, but after a Trojans service error, Miyahiro added two more aces to end the game.
The Trojans took game three in poised fashion, grinding ahead with two aces by Stephens and another by Lyla Worsley.
A roof by middle Jaelyn Davis pushed Mililani ahead 17-16, and Kapolei never regained the lead.
Mililani carried momentum into the fourth game and led 11-7 after a dump shot by Stephens, but putting the home team away was too difficult. The lead changed hands three more times.
With the score 24-all, Paraoan and reserve middle Kiliohu Kopa-Kaawalauole clutched up with kills, sending the match to a fifth set.
Mililani, playing more like a veteran team than one with just three seniors, kept a one- to two-point edge through the first half of the final set, but a tip kill by Ayedasyn Vaesau and a roof by Fa‘asuamanu gave the Hurricanes a 9-8 lead.
Paraoan and Fa‘asuamanu added tip kills, and after an ace by Fa‘asuamanu and a roof by Kopa-Kaawalauole, Kapolei had a 13-10 lead.
Another Paraoan kill was followed by a Mililani service error, ending the match.
Other matches
Kahuku 3, Kamehameha-Maui 0
Cha’lei Reid had 15 kills and Lamona Lauhingoa 10 as the Red Raiders swept the Warriors 25-21, 25-22, 25-12 and will face No. 1 ‘Iolani at 5 p.m. Thursday at Kamehameha’s Kekuhaupio Gym.
Kalaheo 3, Waiakea 2
Jourdyn Kekauoha-Viena and Jadalynn Satele-Filifili each put down 20 kills and Brooke Kearsley had 32 assists and 12 digs as the Mustangs rallied past the Warriors in Hilo 19-25, 23-25, 25-9, 25-21, 15-13. Kalaheo will play No. 2 seed Moanalua at 7 p.m. Thursday at Kamehameha.
Kamehameha 3, Konawaena 0
Kamana’o Goldstein had 14 kills and hit .632 and Kalaweloilehua Chock added 11 while hitting .529 as the Warriors swept the Wildcats 25-9, 25-6, 25-11 and will host No. 3 seed Baldwin at 5 p.m. Thursday.
