Only two weeks had passed since Kamehameha upset ‘Iolani, but the Raiders made sure it would not happen again.
Taimane Ainu‘u crushed 14 kills, and Poema Kalama-Kingma tallied 13 as top-ranked ‘Iolani swept No. 2 Kamehameha 25-15, 25-22, 25-16 to complete the round-two, double-elimination tournament unbeaten on Thursday night.
A five-set loss at Kamehameha in the final week of the regular season did not affect the seedings, but coach Kainoa Obrey and his team used it as a sharpening tool.
“The kids have been re-energized with a tough one at Kamehameha. That gave us a little bit more motivation to work hard. In our league, you play to win. You don’t want to just cash it in,” Obrey said. “Our staff went to work, watched a lot of video—not just of the other team, but of ourselves—to figure out how we can be better.”
Last week, ‘Iolani swept Kamehameha in the second match of the round-two tournament. On Tuesday, it easily could have been a split of the first two sets, as Kamehameha led the second 19-16.
“We knew Kamehameha would play us a little tougher. You saw that in them in the second set,” Obrey said. “I’m super proud of our kids, how they hung in there. Ultimately, they made the plays.”
As the regular-season winner, ‘Iolani captured its second consecutive ILH girls volleyball title with a balanced attack. The Raiders (24-7 overall) will likely have the top seed in the New City Nissan/HHSAA State Championships presented by Hawaii National Guard.
‘Iolani will have a first-round bye before playing on Oct. 30, while Kamehameha (31-9) will play in the opening round on Oct. 27. The bracket will be released by the HHSAA after all five leagues statewide complete playoff action.
“We’ve got about a week-and-a-half or so. For us, it’s a great opportunity to compete. ‘Iolani played well,” Kamehameha coach Chris Blake said. “We didn’t necessarily do the things we need to do to come out on top. We’re proud of the way we fought. They put us in some tough spots, but we battled and competed.”
‘Iolani earned an automatic spot by winning the ILH regular season (round one). Regular-season runner-up Kamehameha clinched a berth by eliminating Mid-Pacific on Tuesday, which guaranteed the Warriors second place (or higher) in round two.
Junior Georgie Lee finished with nine kills (.462 hitting percentage), one ace, four digs, and two blocks.
“Chemistry-wise, everyone came together, everyone played their roles. Everyone dominated their roles and it really showed on the court,” Lee said. “There’s always going to be ups and downs in the game. Our goal is to play as consistently as possible.”
Senior setter Bailey Nakanelua dished out 39 assists, adding two kills and three digs. Senior libero Maddix Taniguchi contributed six digs for an air-tight Raiders defense.
“The difference is that we’re more mature this year. We know what it takes to be in that last match of the season. That’s ultimately our whole growth,” Taniguchi said. “We know what it takes, so the grind is not stopping now. The grind is what we put in throughout the summer.”
The Raiders are 15-3 on their home court this season and have not lost at home since falling to Ann Kang Invitational champion Byron Nelson (Texas) on Aug. 16.
A loud, large audience at Father Bray Athletic Complex saw ‘Iolani play some of its best volleyball, but none of the Raiders were satisfied.
“We played good, but we can play better,” Nakanelua said.
Kalama-Kingma added eight digs, while Ainu‘u had four.
“My setter’s so amazing. She always gives me the perfect set every time,” Ainu‘u said. “I feel good. It’s another opportunity for us to show how good we are and how much work we put into this sport. I think we’re ready for it,” Nakanelua added. “We’re just focusing on this next part of the season at states and hoping to come out with a bang.”
Sauimoana Purcell led Kamehameha with 10 kills, and Kalaweiolehua Chock added six. ‘Iolani’s defense kept a consistent double block on Chock, leaving her little open space to work with. As a team, the Warriors hit just .099, while ‘Iolani hit .325.
Middle Kealoha Lyons chipped in five kills, while Alayah Wilson dished 15 assists and Shaye Teves had nine assists.
Purcell had 26 kills in Kamehameha’s win over Mid-Pacific on Tuesday. The Raiders studied the footage and were prepared for Kamehameha’s powerful combination of Chock and Purcell.
“We definitely saw the small adjustments they made with their lineup change. With how many times we played them,” Taniguchi said. “We know their tendencies. We know where the ball’s going to go depending on the setter, too. We just know our roles.”
‘Iolani won three of the four previous battles between these two teams.
– On Sept. 6, the Raiders rallied at Kamehameha with a 22-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 15-11 win.
– On Sept. 16, ‘Iolani swept Kamehameha 25-15, 25-23, 25-20.
– On Sept. 30, Kamehameha returned the favor at home, winning 25-23, 24-26, 22-25, 28-26, 15-12.
– On Oct. 11, during the current round-two tournament, the Raiders swept the Warriors 25-14, 25-19, 25-18.
The Warriors matched ‘Iolani’s homecourt intensity, but the Raiders were simply more powerful and precise.
With Lee serving, ‘Iolani scored four consecutive points for a 5-1 lead and never relented. After an ace by Taimane Ainu‘u, the home team led 9-3, forcing Kamehameha coach Blake to call a timeout.
Kamehameha responded with a run to pull within four points, but setter Nakanelua remained in sync with her hitters. Ainu‘u scored from the left, the right, and even the right back row on an exquisite set that fell untouched in the Kamehameha back row.
Ainu‘u finished the opening set with eight kills and two aces, while Lee had three kills and two aces, and Kalama-Kingma added three kills. ‘Iolani committed just three hitting errors in the first game.
The Warriors seized momentum in set two as ‘Iolani struggled somewhat with Kamehameha’s serve. A back-row violation gave the visitors a 5-4 lead, and after a right-side kill by Ayva-Ray Malepeai extended the margin to 8-5, Obrey called a timeout.
Kamehameha stayed ahead for most of set two and held a 19-16 lead. However, a missed connection between Teves and middle Kealoha Lyons allowed ‘Iolani to tie it at 22, and a right-side kill by Ainu‘u gave the Raiders the lead. Elle Arceneaux roofed Chock, and a hitting error by Purcell from the back row ended the set, giving ‘Iolani a 2-0 lead in the match.
‘Iolani’s block party peaked in set three. Lee roofed the freshman Purcell on back-to-back plays, opening the Raiders’ lead to 15-10. After Ainu‘u roofed Chock, ‘Iolani led 19-12.
The Division I bracket of the New City Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championships presented by Hawaii Army National Guard will begin on Oct. 27. The quarterfinal round (Oct. 30) and semifinal round (Oct. 31) will be held at Moanalua and McKinley.
The championship round is scheduled for Nov. 1 at Bankoh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center on the University of Hawaii campus.
The Division II bracket will take place Oct. 29-31 at Kalani and Kaimuki, with its championship round also at Bankoh Arena.
Since missing the state tourney in 2002, Kamehameha has won the last two state championships. Under coach Chris Blake, the Warriors have captured 13 HHSAA titles since 2005.
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