[ OIA BOYS VOLLEYBALL ]
New faces at Kalaheo expect same result
PREVIEW
With so many new faces, both players and coaches alike, many of the teams this season in the Oahu Interscholastic Association are a mystery to one another.
But while some teams were able to restock, many of last season's top teams were left with nearly nothing.
Even with the loss of All-OIA East outside hitters Mana Guerreiro, Elias David, setter Chris Tumaneng, libero Brandon Wong and head coach Sivan Leoni, defending OIA champion Kalaheo has more talent coming back than most other teams around the league.
Solidifying a dangerous middle attack, the Mustangs will rely on Star-Bulletin All-State second-team selections Tyler Caswell and Chase Moses. Both seniors, Caswell at 6-foot-6 and Moses at 6-4, provide the size that most other teams lack.
And in addition to starting opposite Clifton Pires, the Mustangs also have a secret weapon returning in senior outside hitter Timothy Moyer.
"Last year he was really close to starting, but we were so stacked," Kalaheo head coach Gavin Cook said. "He's going to be one of the best players in the OIA."
To replace Tumaneng, sophomore Christian Kepa has stepped up to take the starting setter position.
"It's been taking time for everyone to adjust," Cook said. "But we have a lot of potential. We'll be all right."
A possible spoiler for the Mustangs' attempt to win its third consecutive OIA championship could be last year's upstart Roosevelt.
An explosive force in the middle and outside, the Rough Riders' Kaina Palama looks poised to have a breakout junior season. As a sophomore, Palama showed flashes of greatness, using his power and quickness to lead the Rough Riders to a state tournament berth.
After a roster overhaul last season, Kahuku is undoubtedly in a rebuilding year. The Red Raiders, fourth-place finishers in last year's state tournament, return just two players from that squad, along with outside hitter Frank Buttel, who left the team halfway through the season. Playing alongside Buttel, outside/middle Jarren Kaio and defensive specialist Nick Gouveia are 11 teammates who have never played organized volleyball.
"It's hard to teach everyone from scratch in three weeks," first-year head coach Kaniela Kalama said. "We're basically starting over. It's going to be a fun year."
Last season, Castle finished second in the East and earned a state tournament berth with a senior squad that averaged 6-foot-1. But with only two returning players, it's back to the norm for the Knights.
"That was a freak year for us," Castle coach Pat Gomes-Woosley said. "Now we're back to a 5-foot-7 average. It's going to be a hard year for us.
"Last year, we had an offense to lead us. This year, we're going to have to depend a lot on our defense."
The West is not a whole lot clearer as last season's division champion Radford must rebuild after losing four All-OIA seniors, including OIA West player of the year Glen Klaiber.
That leaves the door open for runner-up Pearl City to return to its dominance of the past.
"We have a lot of potential and talent," Pearl City coach Bryson Martin said. "But the weakness is that we have a lot of inexperience with that potential and talent."
What his team lacks, Martin said, is the ability to pull itself out of bad runs.
"Sometimes they take it too hard," Martin said.
Oddly enough the Chargers, a squad with nine juniors, are turning to an even more inexperienced sophomore for leadership on the floor.
"I sometimes feel bad for him because I put so much pressure on him and it's only his second year ever playing volleyball," Martin said of all-conference middle Donovan Nieves.