honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, November 5, 2003

Kamehameha's boys sweep Iolani in volleyball

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The three-team race for the Interscholastic League of Honolulu boys volleyball championship was whittled to two yesterday, and Punahou is the odd team out even though Iolani lost its second straight match.

Kamehameha's Adam Tuifagu pounds one of his match-high 18 kills through the Iolani defense of Todd Blankenship and Kawika Shoji.

Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Kamehameha (14-1) swept visiting Iolani, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22, yesterday to win the ILH's second round and set up tomorrow's winner-take-all match between the same teams. First serve is set for 5 p.m. at Kamehameha's Kekuhau-pi'o Fieldhouse.

Iolani (13-2) won the first round. Punahou (12-3) defeated Iolani in five games last week but lost earlier to Kamehameha, which went 4-0 in the second round.

Had Kamehameha lost yesterday, there would have been a three-way tie for first place in the second round, forcing a series of playoffs.

"I think knowing how much was on the line just added to our focus," said Warriors senior outside hitter Adam Tuifagu, who finished with a match-high 18 kills. "It was more about changing our mindset. We've grown a lot as a team in the last few weeks."

Iolani, meanwhile, has struggled in its past two matches. The Raiders began the season with 13 straight victories and led Punahou two games to zero last week, only to lose three straight and the match.

That streak is now at six games after yesterday's sweep.

Errors plagued Iolani throughout the match, but especially in the first game, when the Raiders had seven (four hitting, three serving). Kamehameha led that game from start to finish, at one point going up 20-10.

Iolani jumped to leads of 5-1 and 8-4 in the second game, only to see the Warriors catch them at 9-9. The score was tied at 20, but a kill by Tuifagu, a block by Ronson Olaso and an error by the Raiders put Kamehameha up 23-20, and the Warriors finished it with kills by Kory Matsukado and Tuifagu.

Iolani went up 15-13 in the third game, but the lead again slipped away with two straight errors and a net violation. An Iolani net violation made it 24-21, and the Warriors ended it on a kill by Ernie Vidinha.

Todd Blankenship had 12 kills to lead the Raiders, who are seeking their first ILH title since 1979.

Kamehameha is going after its third straight league championship, despite losing three first-team Advertiser All-State players (Isaac Kneubuhl, Willy Melemai and Jarrett Day) to graduation.

"We've had to develop players and train harder this year," Tuifagu said. "But we're not done yet."

• Correction: Rebecca Lisle plays volleyball for Iolani. She was mentioned as playing for another school in yesterday's Weekly Honors.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.