KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM Moanalua's Danie Hout put down five kills yesterday in a win over Kahuku. The Menehunes improved to 8-0.

Moanalua
up to 8-0 after
beating Kahuku

The Red Raiders take the
Menehunes to the limit in
the OIA East volleyball match

---

By Tim Crouse
tcrouse@starbulletin.com

Being the only undefeated team in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division isn't causing anxiety for the Moanalua girls volleyball squad.

In fact, the Menehunes couldn't be having more fun.

Moanalua and Kahuku squeezed out every last bit of drama in a pivotal OIA East match last night, with the host Menehunes winning 15-10, 14-16, 15-12.

With the victory, Moanalua stays atop the standings with an 8-0 record -- with two matches remaining against Kalani and Farrington.

But don't expect the Menehunes to act worried.

"We don't have much pressure on us, we're not defending a title or anything," Moanalua coach Sheri Sagayaga said. "Basically we're just having fun and taking it as it comes."

The teams played in front of a packed Moanalua gym -- well-represented by both sides.

"It was really exciting and the fans were crazy and it was just fun to have all of them here," Moanalua's Patti Hardimon said.

"We just use having fun as an advantage. (We try to) have fun and relax out there."

Defending league champion Kahuku dropped to 6-2, with both losses coming in a span of three days.

Hardimon, Danie Hout and Resina Nataniela combined for 10 of Moanalua's 11 kills in the third game -- and brought the crowd to its feet every time they swung for a kill.

"When it's a really intense game and the crowd is loud, I think it's natural that you just get really intense," Hout said.

Neither team was able to pull away in the deciding game, with four points the largest margin.

"We were just thinking that we needed to pick it up a little, make a couple of passes," Hardimon said.

Kepua Lee and Hardimon teamed for a block to give Moanalua a 3-2 lead, and Nataniela blasted three kills to put the Menehunes up 7-6.

Then Hardimon and Hout took over.

"Me and Danie, we just picked it up so the rest of the team could follow and jump on our train," Hardimon said.

Hout tied the game at 8 with a kill, Hardimon ripped a running blast and Hout added another hard kill for an 11-8 lead, as the crowd nearly lifted the roof.

After Kahuku called time, Hout responded by thumping a kill cross court for a 12-8 Moanalua lead.

"I think I play better under pressure," said Hout, who had three of her five kills in Game 3.

The Red Raiders had one more rally left in them, scoring three of the next four points, capped off by Tuli Peters' kill.

Hardimon and Peters exchanged kills, and Hardimon ended it with one final swing of her arm.

Hardimon finished with 12 kills, four aces off jump serves and three block assists.

"We have to work on the little things, especially the mental errors," Hout said. "We have to learn how to just shake it off and pick ourselves up."

Moanalua jumped out to an 11-3 lead in the first game, with Hout serving three straight aces.

The Menehunes had eight aces in the match.

"We could have served even tougher," Sagayaga said. The Menehunes did have six service errors -- but none in rally scoring, where an error means a point.

The Red Raiders cut it to 12-8, but Ashley Gandauli and Sasha Silva teamed for a block for Moanalua, and the Menehunes closed it out.

Kahuku eked out Game 2, with Peters hitting three late kills, including the game-winner. She also combined with Musie Olevao for a big block in the late going.

"We have to work on our service passing," said Kahuku coach Mona Ah-Hoy, who also said the Red Raiders have to get off to quicker starts.

"We kind of feel everybody out, but we can't feel out a good team like Moanalua," she said.

Hawaii School Web Sites