Lady Riders move ahead
of Governors

Taking the line from the shirts on their backs, the Roosevelt girls volleyball team proved that "Attitude is Everything," battling and persevering to defeat conference rival Farrington 25-14, 27-25 in an action-packed match at the Lady Riders' home gym.

The motto, emblazoned on the back of Roosevelt's T-shirts, set the tone for the pivotal win, which put the Riders (7-3) a game ahead of the Governors (6-4) in fourth place in the OIA Eastern Division.

With one match to go, 2003 state tournament participant Roosevelt improved its chances to vie for the division's fourth and final spot for the OIA tournament.

Entering the match, Roosevelt and Farrington each had three losses to the same teams: East front-runners Moanalua, Kahuku and Kalani.

"I'm really proud of all of them," Roosevelt coach Bryan Camello said of his team. "It was a total team effort. The passers had to pass, the setters had to work and everyone came to play. Even the girls on the bench did their part, supporting their teammates."

The first hero for Roosevelt was sophomore setter Hoku Oleole, who got her squad off to a strong start in Game 1, holding service as the Riders sprinted to an 8-0 advantage. Oleole had two of her match-high five service aces and an assist during the run.

Farrington kept its composure in the first game, but could never quite derail the Lady Riders, who displayed a stubborn defense.

"We really stepped up our serving and defense in both games," Camello said. "We know we have to come out to play every night and be mentally prepared."

Senior reserve setter Allie Maeoka was strong off the bench in the first game, distributing six assists, with Miya Frank and Monica Seguancia each posting four kills. Frank led Roosevelt with eight kills for the night, while Maeoka finished with 11 assists.

Farrington responded with a six-point run after falling behind 4-0 to start Game 2, keyed by a pair of Tanya Sale kills. Junior setter B.N. Alafonso helped the Governors' attack stay hot, posting 12 of her match-high 19 assists in the second game.

But Roosevelt found a way to battle back, pulling even from a four-point deficit at 19-19 on a Maeoka kill on an overpass.

The game remained close, with the Governors positioning themselves to extend the match to three games at 24-23 after a Roosevelt attack error.

But the Riders would not relent, as Frank recorded the next three points on a combined block with Kathleen Holt and two kills to give the Riders a chance to serve for the game at 26-25.

Senior Kristen Tanabe ended the match on Roosevelt's next chance, completing the contest with her second kill of the night.

"We knew that Farrington would come in and give us a tough game, like they always do," Camello said. "They have a great team, a great coaching staff and great discipline in that program. We knew we needed to change our mind-set and play our best game every time out, as we did tonight."

In the junior varsity match, Roosevelt defeated Farrington 25-21, 25-17.