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Wednesday, November 8, 2000

McKinley, Pearl City
top list of winners

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By Tim Crouse
Special to the Star-Bulletin

A surprising late-season run continued for the McKinley girls and the Pearl City boys rebounded from a loss in the Oahu Interscholastic Association title game in the first day of the state volleyball championships.

McKinley -- which won on the final day of the OIA regular season to make the playoffs, and then knocked off unbeaten Aiea in the OIA Tournament after losing the first game, 15-0 -- eked out a victory over Kauai and swept Molokai at the Stan Sheriff Center to win its pool and advance to tomorrow's quarterfinals.

Cherie Mattoon hammered a team-high 16 kills for the Tigers in the two wins.

Pearl City was twice taken to three games before prevailing over Maui and Kauai yesterday to win its pool at Hemmeter Fieldhouse on the Punahou campus.

Tyler Padayao led the Chargers with 14 kills in each match.

Pool play finishes today.

The top two teams from each pool advances to the quarterfinals tomorrow, and the tournament format switches to single-elimination.

All the action tomorrow and Friday is at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The unbeaten second-seeded Hilo girls' squad, playing their only match of the day, topped a tired Radford team in straight sets.

The Rams struggled to beat King Kekaulike in three games in the first match of the day, and then waited more than three hours before taking on the Vikings.

Kelii Wilson, a 6-foot senior, paced Hilo with nine kills. Coach Carla Carpenter-Kabalis said her team doesn't rely on just one player.

"I try to make sure we work as a team," she said. "We don't focus on one player. I'm happy that we had players that came off the bench to make great contributions.

"We can't let down at any time (in today's match against King Kekaulike). We need to be ready for anything," she said.

Senior Leahi Hall of King Kekaulike had perhaps the best performance of the day. Hall was all over the floor, setting the ball, making diving digs and blasting a tournament-high 22 kills.

Radford's Jasmine Kapesi led the Rams with 27 kills on the day.

Top-seeded Punahou overcame an 8-1 deficit in the second game to sweep past Waiakea.

The Buffanblu played without starting outside hitter Michelle Look, who is nursing an injured shoulder. Assistant coach John McDermott said Look is day-to-day.

In the final girls' contest of the day, St. Francis -- nationally ranked at one point in the season -- shook off a disappointing second half of the season to beat OIA champion Moanalua in two games.

Kaimi Guerreiro pounded 17 kills to lead the Kalaheo boys to a come-from-behind, three-game win over Hilo.

Ikaika added 14 kills for the Mustangs.

The top-seeded Kamehameha boys cruised past Kealakehe and ILH runner-up and six-time defending state champion Punahou had the easiest match of the day, giving up just 12 points to Roosevelt in a two-game win.

The Rough Riders, who upset third-seeded Waiakea in their other match, will most likely face Pearl City in a quarterfinal match.