Kamehameha on prowl
By Pat Bigold
in state volleyball tournament
Star-Bulletin
Two-time defending state champion Kamehameha moved like the Stealth Bomber through pool play of the 28th Hawaii High School Athletic Association Girls' Volleyball Championships yesterday at McKinley High gym.With most eyes focused on the top two seeds, Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Punahou and Oahu Interscholastic association champion McKinley, the Warriors quietly disposed of third-seeded Waiakea and unseeded Roosevelt in straight sets. They moved into today's single-elimination round at Punahou.
The Buffanblu and Tigers also advanced with 2-0 records in pool play, as did Kauai Interscholastic Federation champion Waimea.
Top-seeded Punahou defeated Konaweana, 14-9, 15-1, and Farrington, 15-8, 15-2, while No. 2 seed McKinley defeated Seabury Hall, 15-5, 15-2, and University High, 15-8, 9-13, 15-9.
Waimea beat Waianae, 15-5, 15-12, and Molokai, 15-4, 13-15, 15-3.
The Nissan-sponsored tournament will finish with tomorrow's championship match at Punahou at 7:30 p.m.
Kamehameha seeks its 10th state crown in relative obscurity this time and that's all right with middle blocker Teuila Pilimai, who had 10 kills and a .353 hitting percentage in her team's opening 15-11, 15-8 victory over Big Island Interscholastic Federation champions Waiakea.
"My team is coming in as underdogs and we're a little more sassy this time," said the 5-foot-11 senior. "We have a little more to work for. Nobody is really expecting us. I like it."
Pilimai said it was somewhat difficult to anticipate the diminutive but high-jumping Waiakea defense.
"We were waiting for the unexpected, not knowing what they're going to come up with because they're so short," she said.
Kamehameha head coach Dan Kitashima was pleased with Pilimai's performance but he had one concern in the early match.
"Unfortunately, our passing against Waiakea was not what we'd like it to be so that we could've gotten our other middle, Alohi Helemani (four kills), going," he said.
The situation reversed itself in Kamehameha's 15-9, 15-11 victory over Roosevelt. Helemani had eight kills and Pilimai four.
Mahealani Lum led Kamehameha in that match with 10 kills.
"We know that we're young and Punahou was slated to be the team to beat," said Kitashima.
"But the season has gone by and our girls have matured and, hopefully, we can give Punahou a run for their money."
Text Site Directory:
[News] [Business] [Features] [Sports] [Editorial] [Community] [Info] [Stylebook] [Feedback]