OIA has 2 months
to catch ILH
Fortunately, for the teams that aren't a part of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, there are two months to raise the bar of excellence. Otherwise, there is no league that is ready to deal with the top boys volleyball teams of the ILH.
In the Oahu Interscholastic Association, there is an even longer path to trod. One statewide poll ranks Waiakea of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation and Kaua'i ahead of any OIA school. Kahuku and Kalaheo were the only OIA teams to crack the top 10.
And as for the OIA West, there has been nothing more than ripples in the water. Leilehua, regarded by many as the best team in that division, lost to Kamehameha's talented junior varsity squad at the Kamehameha Invitational last week.
Kahuku is certainly the coaches' favorite to repeat as OIA champion.
"They always find good athletes, and they're well-coached," Kaimuki coach Brian Poppinga said. "They're the team to go after."
Kahuku's success last year was due in part to versatile Hapaki Kaululaau. Now a senior, the Red Raiders are counting on him to make a switch to setter. At 5-foot-9, he has great hops and gives Kahuku a strong hitter, as well.
Replacing Kaululaau as a hitter is Charles Bell. The 6-1 junior played with Kaululaau on the Asics club team over the summer.
Junior Ale, also a 6-1 junior, is another big hitter in the Kahuku lineup.
Their laid-back mentor is happy with his team's chemistry.
"We're well-balanced as far as attitude and character," longtime coach Howard Kaululaau said.
Kahuku placed third at the McKinley Classic, finishing behind Punahou and Kamehameha, the state's top-ranked teams. Kahuku also fared moderately well against the state's No. 5-ranked team, Kauai, which features 6-foot-8 Vaafuti Tavana.
In a battle of Red Raider squads, Kauai went to Kahuku recently and won in three games. A few days later, on the first day of the McKinley tourney, Kahuku swept the KIF Raiders.
"From what I saw, we're among the top three or four," Howard Kaululaau said. "Kalaheo, Nanakuli and Leilehua all are good. Kalaheo is young, but they all have skills.
"Leilehua is real scrappy with kids who can really jump," he continued. "I've never seen Nanakuli this big before. They're similar to us in height."
Pearl City coach Dayne Teves agreed.
"Ernest (Balignasay) always has a good team. He's been coaching since I was a player," said Teves, who played at Pearl City.
Leilehua, he added, defeated Maryknoll at the Kamehameha Invitational, and Maryknoll has one of its best teams ever.
Teves took over at Pearl City last year in a rush when the new coach bowed out during preseason due to job obligations. Last year's squad had the benefit of incumbent Reid Shigemasa as a transitional guide.
"We played in the same system and coach pretty much the same way. But last year, I wasn't really prepared," said Teves, who had just moved back with his wife from San Francisco. He went from assistant to head coach overnight.
"This year, we're a lot more prepared mentally and physically. We have more players who love to play volleyball."
A pair of 6-2 seniors, Josh Fial and Jeremy Pahukoa, will man the middle for an otherwise mid-sized Charger team.
In the East, Poppinga believes Kalaheo will mesh quickly.
"They're young, but they always have tall kids. If they find some passers, they'll be pretty good," he said.
The former University of Hawaii standout saw his Bulldogs improve dramatically last season. Despite some key losses, Poppinga has high hopes for Kaimuki.
"We don't have a player who stands out from the others. Overall, we have five versatile players. They remind me of us when I played at UH," he said. "We don't have a real middle, but I like what we have."
