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Friday, October 6, 2000

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Kamehameha's Tai Soo, left, and Mounia Nihipali were warriors
at the net last night against Punahou at Klum Gym last night.

Punahou no match
for Kamehameha

---

By Dave Reardon
Star-Bulletin

Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls' volleyball is either very strong or very overrated.

Anyone who saw Kamehameha's 15-11, 15-10 victory over Punahou yesterday at Klum Gym would probably go with the first assessment.

A team ranked as national champion last year (Kamehameha) played another that is nationally ranked (Punahou) -- for second place in the ILH.

Kamehameha, rated the best team in the nation after last season by Volleyball Magazine, beat Punahou, ranked as high as ninth in the nation this year.

Players and coaches from relatively unheralded St. Francis, the league's first-round champion, sat back and watched the Warriors and Buffanblu jockey for position for the ILH's second and final state tournament berth. The Troubadours are already in, since they won the first round.

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Caroline Ane and Nani Loui stop a kill attempt by
Kamehameha player Beth Nakamura.

With its second victory over Punahou (9-3 in the ILH) in five days, Kamehameha (11-2) took second place in the league's first round -- improving its seeding for the second round.

The Warriors have steadily improved after losing nearly their entire starting team from last year.

"After our loss to St. Francis we knew we could play well as individuals. We needed to come together to play better as a team," first-year coach Joey (Akeo) Miyashiro said. "Players reached deep to support each other."

Miyashiro said seniors Beth Nakamura and Piikea Dudoit have led the way with their work ethic. She also mentioned Kekai Crabbe as "a sparkplug who fires everybody up."

Dudoit fired 12 kills and Mounia Nihipali added 11 to pace the Warriors last night.

Michelle Look led Punahou with 11 kills and Caroline Ane was in on six blocks.