HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kahuku's Camilla Ah-Hoy slammed a kill shot over Roosevelt defender Hoku Oleole last night.
|
|
Kahuku girls clinch OIA Red East
Kahuku's Camilla Ah-Hoy only needed two swings in the final minutes to put away Roosevelt and clinch the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red East championship for the Lady Raiders.
Kahuku rebounded from its first loss this season on Tuesday against Moanalua, sweeping past the Lady Riders 25-17, 26-24 last night at McKinley.
With the win, the Lady Raiders finished the regular season at 11-1, while the Lady Riders finished at 10-2, both losses coming at the hands of the Lady Raiders.
At the first match point, Roosevelt's Brandi Pupuhi put down a kill into the back corner to tie the game at 24-24. But after staying away from Ah-Hoy for much of the second game, the Lady Raiders immediately went back to their ace. The 5-foot-10 senior slammed a sharp kill down the line, then followed that with a stinging cross-court shot to the opposite corner to win the match.
"Always, throughout the season, we've been going to Milla," Kahuku coach Mona Ah-Hoy said. "We told our setter to use our other hitters because teams have been keying on her. So we just set our other hitters to open up shots for Camilla."
Krystyle Glover added six kills in the win. Jacey Tagavilla led the Lady Riders with four kills. Pupuhi, Hoku Oleole and Justina Kalilimoku each added three kills for Roosevelt.
From the first serve, the Lady Raiders were in control of Game 1, accumulating an early five-point lead. From there, Roosevelt slowly closed the gap, getting as close as one point at 13-12 on a hitting error by Camilla Ah-Hoy. But from there, Ah-Hoy went on a tear, putting down four of her six kills of Game 1 over the next eight points. She also picked up a service ace later in the game.
Ah-Hoy's play, teamed with tough Lady Raider serving and poor Roosevelt passing, turned the game into a rout, with Kahuku winning by eight points.
"They served tough. They served great," Roosevelt coach Bryan Camello said. "They served a lot better than I'd seen them in the first match."
Leilani Tafuna posted four aces with her standing line-drive serve.
The Lady Riders saw the momentum come over to their side in the beginning of Game 2, jumping out to a 4-0 lead following a solo block by Pupuhi. But the Lady Raiders fought back by the middle of the game, taking the lead on a double block by Glover and Ane Vea.
With the OIA playoffs next, Camello said this loss can only help them in the postseason.
"The great thing is we got the loss out now," Camello said. "This is just a regular-season game. We seem to come out better, and all teams learn a lot more from a loss."
Roosevelt def. No. 9 Kahuku,
25-20, 27-25
Kaina Palama pounded a match-high eight kills as the Rough Riders defeated the Red Raiders in the boys varsity match at McKinley.
The Red Raiders were plagued by hitting errors in Game 1, both forced and unforced. Kahuku collected 12 hitting errors in the first game, three of which were because of Rough Rider blocks.
After grabbing an early four-point lead, the Red Raiders soon found themselves behind, as hitting errors and an ace by Jordan Murakami allowed Roosevelt to pull ahead for good at 9-8. The Rough Riders led by as many as six points following a Kyle Maki and Jayson Tasaka block.
Game 2 played like a hitting clinic by Palama. The 6-1 sophomore slammed down seven kills in the frame.
"He's just blossoming with every game, every match," Roosevelt coach Kaui Mendonca said. "He's just coming into his own right now, a perfect time for us."
The Red Raiders took a small lead in the early points, going up 6-4. But the Rough Riders charged back, taking the lead at 7-6 after an ace by Tasaka.
Roosevelt seemed to have the game and match in hand with a comfortable 24-20 lead. But Red Raider Jarren Kaio carried Kahuku past two match points, putting down his team-high seventh kill, and that was followed by a solo stuff of Tasaka. Then two Roosevelt hitting errors tied the game up at 24-24.
On the following play, the match was stopped for 5 minutes as Kahuku coach Howard Kaululaau vehemently argued a call. A ball that was dug up by the Red Raiders hit off the gym's ceiling, and they tried to get it over. However, the play was halted, with the referees citing that the ball was unplayable because it hit the ceiling out of bounds. Though Roosevelt eventually got the point, and later the win, Mendonca said he understands Kaululaau's actions.
"I would have done the same thing for my team," Mendonca said. "It was a tough call. Everybody would have done the same thing as a coach."