Kamehameha girls, boys volleyball teams prevail
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
A surprise appearance by outside hitter Mounia Nihipali sparked the Kamehameha girls volleyball team to a 15-9, 12-15, 15-10 victory over Punahou last night at Kekuhaupi'o Fieldhouse.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
It was the Interscholastic League of Honolulu opener for both teams.
Kamehameha's Jessica Bird attempted to save a ball off the net against Punahou last night.
Nihipali, a second-team All-ILH selection last year, suffered a badly sprained right ankle three weeks ago and was not expected back this soon. But she entered last night's match late in the second game and had a kill on her first swing.
Although Punahou ended up winning that game, Nihipali started the next game and had four more kills and two blocks to help the Warriors take the match.
"They look a little more confident with her out there," said Buffanblu coach John McDermott. "She's not moving the way she normally does, but she had more mobility than I thought she would have and she was still pretty effective. They're definitely a better team with her on the court, even if she's not 100 percent."
Nihipali, a 5-foot-9 junior, described her ankle as "about 80 percent." She originally was feared to miss up to half the season, but she received clearance from her doctor to play last week and practiced Saturday and Monday.
"I felt pretty good during warmups, and my hands were shaking because I wanted to play so bad," Nihipali said. "I mean, this is Punahou — it's a big rivalry."
However, Kamehameha coach Joey Miyashiro decided to sit Nihipali for the first game as a precaution.
"We knew it was safe for her to play, but she's not close to where she could be and we played pretty well without her in the first game," Miyashiro said.
In the second game, however, the Warriors blew a 10-6 lead and trailed 12-13. That's when Nihipali entered, immediately contributing with a kill for a sideout.
But Punahou won the next two points with an ace by Kaui Robello and a tip by Aneli Cubi-Otineru.
The Buffanblu jumped to a 5-2 lead in the third game, but Kamehameha went on a 10-1 run and held off a late rally for the victory.
Junior outside hitter Kristen Ponce led the Warriors with 13 kills, and freshman Chauntelle Maduli added 10 kills.
Cubi-Otineru, a sophomore, led the Buffanblu with 19 kills, and freshman Robello added 12 kills.
BOYS
Isaac Kneubuhl, The Advertiser's 2001 State Player of the Year, had 21 kills and teammate Jarrett Day added 10 kills to lead Kamehameha to a 15-5, 12-15, 15-6 victory over Punahou.
Willy Melemai contributed nine kills for Kamehameha (3-0).
Michael China had 11 kills and 13 digs for the Buffanblu (1-1), and Chris Friedemann added nine kills.
Punahou led 3-0 and 4-2 in the third game, but the Warriors went on a 10-1 run and closed out the match after a series of Buffanblu errors.
