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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, November 10, 2001

Kealakehe advances to semifinal round

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Save the best for last.

That phrase held truth in the quarterfinals of the Nissan Boys State Volleyball Championships last night at Blaisdell Arena.

The first two match-ups were slow to start, quick to finish. Kamehameha, not playing to its champion status, put away persistent Seabury Hall, 15-8, 15-11.

In the second match, Iolani quickly shut down self-destructing Maui, 15-5, 15-4.

"It was almost as if they didn't show up," said Iolani assistant coach Peter Greenhill. "We were very surprised how easily they succumbed."

But the last two matches gave fans something to cheer about.

Pool runner-up Kalaheo surprised a well-coached Pearl City team, defeating the O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion, 15-12, 15-10.

Ikaika Alama-Francis led the Mustangs with 10 kills and seven blocks, providing the spark on offense they will need today when they face Iolani in a 3:30 p.m. semifinal.

"He's a great guy to have around," said Kalaheo coach Sivan Leoni. "He brings a lot of intensity."

Kalaheo's strength is in its blocking. Against Pearl City, it posted 14 total blocks, compared with Pearl City's five.

But Iolani has an impressive front line, averaging about 6 feet 2. Historically, this is one of the school's tallest teams.

"We just have to block better," Greenhill said, adding Iolani posted six total blocks against Maui. "No matter how well we block, we're never satisfied. And against a team like Kalaheo, that's pretty important."

The crowd may have dwindled for the final match-up between Kealakehe and Waimea, but the excitement heightened, as the two Neighbor Island champions dueled it out in the night's longest quarterfinal.

Despite a sluggish start, Kealakehe outlasted the Menehune, 12-15, 15-6, 15-9, to reach today's 2 p.m. semifinal against Kamehameha.

Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion Kealakehe fell apart in Game 1, due to mishits and defensive errors. But it came into the second game on fire, confidently putting away kills and putting up blocks that pushed it ahead 9-0. Waimea never got closer than five points.

"In Game 1 we didn't really communicate," said Kealakehe senior middle blocker Kana Bento, who had 15 kills and five blocks. "When they scored, we got down. But in (the next two games) we started talking and getting things done."

Both teams played it close in Game 3, with Waimea taking control early, capitalizing on the Waveriders' offensive errors. Kealakehe rallied from a 9-5 deficit behind the strong arm of Bento and sophomore middle blocker Kyle Teves, who contributed a match-high 16 kills.

"Not bad, but we could have been better," said Kealakehe coach Kahinu Lee. "We're still off on our game plan."

And any kind of errors today against top-seeded Kamehameha won't be as easy to overcome.

"We got height, we just gotta show up," Lee said.