Punahou boys win
exhausting volleyball
final
The Buffanblu complete a perfect season
by beating ILH rival Kamehameha
KEAAU, Hawaii » The HHSAA Boys Volleyball Championship game last night at Kamehameha-Hawaii was everything a title game should be.
With close games in all three sets leading up to a dramatic finish, Punahou was able to claim the state title and keep its perfect season intact.
"It's pretty sweet," Punahou head coach Peter Balding said. "I don't really know what to say right now. It's still too early and I'm a little numb. That was a dogfight. Those guys (Kamehameha) were awesome and they took it to us in every facet of the game. It very easily could have gone the other way."
But it didn't.
The top-seeded Buffanblu took the first game and the last and struggled a bit in between against a tough Kamehameha squad on their way to a 25-21, 17-25, 25-21 win.
In the first game Punahou took control early, leading by as many as four points, but a 3-0 run midway through turned the early action into a back-and-forth battle. The game was tied seven times as Kamehameha's Ernest Vidinha helped spark the rally by making the most out of several deep sets from his front line.
The game stayed within a point either way as the teams struggled to gain an advantage. Punahou finally broke through as the Buffanblu ended the first game by taking four of the last five points to win it 25-21.
In the second game, it was Kamehameha that emerged as the front-runner following a 5-0 run that put the Warriors ahead 15-10.
Big kills by Punahou's Matthew Brown and T.J. Zabriskie appeared to rekindle the Punahou attack, but the Warriors were able to go on another five-point unanswered streak late in the game to force a third and deciding game -- just as championship volleyball should be.
With 14 tied scores and eight lead changes, the deciding game couldn't have been much closer. Neither team could gain any real advantage as the two battled one another and their own frustrations trying to be the first team to 25.
For Punahou the difference in the final game was 6-foot-6 big man Kealii Frank, who led the team with 10 kills in the match. After a somewhat quiet first two games, Frank took over and led his team through the final stretch despite numerous comeback attempts by the Warriors. The Buffanblu would take the game on a block by Frank and Spencer McLachlin to win it all 25-21.
According to Balding, Frank and Zabriskie were among the difference makers on a team that has a number of bright stars.
"T.J. was steady all night long," Balding said. "And Kealii kind of flexed his muscles in the end. They kind of had their way with him early on. It wasn't until about five points into the last game that he really got on a roll."
As for Kamehameha, they had the crowd support from their neighbor island's affiliate school but did not have enough in the tank to hand Punahou its first loss of the year.
"They fought all the way through and gave a good effort," Kamehameha head coach Pono Maa said. "It was a hard-fought match both ways. It was really a great match. We got more comfortable in our lineup in the second game and we made a lot of unforced errors in the first game."
Kamehameha was led on offense by Kory Matsukado (10 kills) and Vidinha (12 kills). Frank led Punahou with 10 kills, while Zabriskie added nine kills.
Waiakea def. Hana 25-16, 25-18
Jamie Napua Cabatu recorded a match-high eight kills as the Warriors dominated the Dragons in the third-place match.The Warriors never trailed in the contest, hitting .414 to Hana's .104. The Dragons relied on Bryce Oliveira, who led the team with six kills, nine assists and seven digs.
Kauai def. Kahuku 25-17, 25-19
In the battle of two Red Raiders squads, Kauai's Vaafuti Tavana posted a match-high 11 kills and five digs to help his team claim fifth place over Kahuku.The Kauai offense was nearly unstoppable as Kahuku was unable to record a single block. The Kauai Red Raiders hit .389 as a team, with Tavana hitting .350.
Molokai def. Kealakehe 18-25, 26-24, 25-19
Senior Preston Duvauchelle-Calairo collected five of Molokai's 11 service aces to lead the Farmers to a comeback win over the Waveriders in a consolation match.The Farmers were able to capture the second game on an ace by Jeremy Adachi, tying the match at one game apiece. Kealakehe never recovered as the Waveriders trailed for most of the final game by three or more points.
