Iolani out to wrap up banner year with title
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
 |
| Iolani's Todd Blankenship, left, Kyle Pape, middle, and Sean Carney are making a name for themselves in volleyball after helping the Raiders to the state boys basketball championship last season.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser |
Almost every sport is represented, from baseball to swimming to tennis to wrestling.
Seniors Todd Blankenship and Sean Carney and junior Kyle Pape helped to hang two of them last year as members of the Raiders' ILH and state champion basketball team. This week, they'll try to hang another that would be the first of its kind: a red one for boys volleyball.
"We certainly hope to," Blankenship said.
Iolani (14-2) returned to the volleyball stratosphere two years ago by reaching the state final, only to be swept by Kamehameha. The Raiders were upset by Pearl City in last season's state semifinals, but gained the No. 1 seed for this week's Nissan State Championships after rallying past Kamehameha last Thursday for the school's first ILH title since 1979.
Not bad for a group that was looked at by some people two years ago as just a bunch of basketball players dabbling in a second sport.
"With their athletic ability, they've developed into volleyball players," Iolani coach Luis Ramirez said. "Their skills have really improved."
Carney, a 6-foot-3 setter/outside hitter, actually has a deep volleyball background. He began playing the sport at the club level about six years ago and has participated in several national camps and tournaments. Last summer, Carney was named Most Valuable Player at USA Volleyball's boys development camp at Long Beach State University.
He is receiving recruiting interest from reigning NCAA champion Lewis, Hawai'i and Long Beach State, among others.
"He's a talented kid, and he's the heart and soul of that team," Kamehameha coach Pono Maa said. "He runs their offense, is a solid blocker and showed he can hit, too."
In the victory over the Warriors last week, Carney had 14 kills, two blocks and an ace to help the Raiders rally for a 26-27, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21, 15-9 road win.
Perhaps more importantly, Carney helped Iolani rise above the loss of first-team Advertiser All-State outside hitter Derrick Low, who opted not to play this season, as well as second-team All-State middle blocker Chad Miller, who graduated.
"Sean filled in the gaps for us and helped us come together," Ramirez said. "We can utilize him (as a hitter) depending on when we get the right matchups, and he's one of the best blockers out there. His ability to move around has helped a lot. Sean is a really hard worker, and he's stepped up to the challenge."
Making strides
Blankenship and Pape, previously known more as basketball players, also have stepped up.
Blankenship began playing volleyball at Iolani in the seventh grade, but mostly was a role player on the state runner-up team two years ago. Last season he started as an opposite, but was largely overshadowed by Low and Miller.
This year, Blankenship (6-2) moved to middle blocker and has become a force. He had a team-high 17 kills and four blocks in the title-clinching victory over Kamehameha last week.
"I think he's the best middle in the state," Ramirez said. "He's playing out of position, but he's so unselfish ... he's been a key part of this team."
So has Pape, a 6-2 outside hitter whose volleyball career began as a freshman on the JV. He had 10 kills in the Kamehameha victory.
"(As a freshman) he was just a beginner; it was the first time he played," Ramirez said. "He still doesn't play club — in the offseason he just plays basketball. But he's made tremendous strides."
Breaking the mold
The Raiders won their first 13 ILH matches, only to lose to Punahou and Kamehameha in the final week before rebounding to beat the Warriors on Thursday.
"Honestly, I thought (Low's absence) would hit us harder," Ramirez said. "But now I think that's what made our kids compete more. They all knew they had to pick up the slack."
Pape said the Iolani players have kept their focus on who came back instead of who didn't.
"We can't let it bring us down, because even if we lose a big guy, we still have so many other big players," Pape said. "We push each other in practice; at any point we'll try to go out and do whatever it takes to get better."
That carries over into the matches, something Raiders basketball coach Mark Mugiishi appreciates. Blankenship, Carney and Pape all were part-time starters on his championship basketball team last year.
"I try to encourage all my players to go out for another sport, because they can benefit from being in competitive situations," Mugiishi said. "You can practice a skill in the offseason, but the ability to make a big play in a big-game atmosphere — that's something you can't simulate. For Sean, in basketball he's a blue-collar player, but he brings so many intangibles, like competitiveness. And for Kyle, last year's state volleyball tournament was a major growing experience for him because it was his first time in a really big game with a lot of people watching. He gained more confidence from it, and you could see that during the basketball season."
Pape said basketball is still his main sport, but added he gives volleyball 100 percent in the fall.
"All of us work hard every single day," Pape said. "It doesn't matter if people don't think we're volleyball players. We love playing it."
Blankenship agreed.
"At first, basketball was No. 1 and I just played volleyball for fun," he said. "But now volleyball has caught up and it's pretty much even. I think this year we've broken the mold as far as being looked at as just basketball players.
"I'd say we're real volleyball players now."
Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.
• • •
STATE VOLLEYBALL
Admission: $7 for adults, $5 kindergarten through 12th.
Sites: Girls at Punahou today-Thursday, at Stan Sheriff Friday. Boys at McKinley today-Thursday, at Stan Sheriff Friday.
Nissan Girls Championships
Today
at Punahou's Hemmeter Field House
- Match 1, 3:30 p.m.
Hawai'i Prep (13-3) vs. Roosevelt (10-5) - Match 2, 5 p.m.
Kaua'i (8-2) vs. Moanalua (12-2) - Match 3, 6:30 p.m.
Kamehameha (15-2) vs. Kealakehe (13-4) - Match 4, 8 p.m.
Kamehameha-Maui (8-5) vs. Kahuku (11-4)
Tomorrow
at Punahou
Consolation bracket
- Match 5, 2 p.m.
Losers of Matches 1 and 3
Quarterfinals
- Match 6, 3:30 p.m.
No. 3 St. Joseph (16-0) vs. Match 2 winner - Match 7, 5 p.m.
No. 4 Seabury Hall (11-1) vs. Match 3 winner - Match 8, 6:30 p.m.
No. 2 Punahou (17-0) vs. Match 4 winner - Match 9, 8 p.m.
No. 1 Kalani (14-0) vs. Match 1 winner
Thursday
at Punahou School
Consolation bracket
- Match 10, 2 p.m.
Losers of Matches 2 and 4 - Match 11, 3:30 p.m.
Losers of Matches 7 and 9 - Match 12, 5 p.m.
Losers of Matches 6 and 8 - Semifinals
Winners of Matches 6 and 8, 6:30 p.m.
Winners of Matches 7 and 9, 8 p.m.
Friday
at Stan Sheriff Center
- Consolation
Winners of Matches 5 and 10, 9 a.m. - Fifth place
Winners of Matches 11 and 12, 10:30 a.m. - Third place
Semifinal losers, 3 p.m. - Championship
Semifinal winners, 8:30 p.m.
Nissan Boys Championships
Today
at McKinley High's Student Council Gym
- Match 1, 3:30 p.m.
Maui (8-4) vs. Campbell (11-2) - Match 2, 5 p.m.
Waiakea (14-4) vs. Kalaheo (10-2) - Match 3, 6:30 p.m.
Mililani (12-1) vs. Waimea (7-2) - Match 4, 8 p.m.
Kamehameha (15-2) vs. Ka'u (12-5)
Tomorrow
at McKinley High
Consolation bracket
- Match 5, 2 p.m.
Losers of Matches 1 and 3
Quarterfinals
- Match 6, 3:30 p.m.
No. 4 Kealakehe (15-3) vs. Match 3 winner - Match 7, 5 p.m.
No. 2 Seabury Hall (10-1) vs. Match 2 winner - Match 8, 6:30 p.m.
No. 1 Iolani (15-2) vs. Match 1 winner - Match 9, 8 p.m.
No. 3 Kahuku (11-1) vs. Match 4 winner
Thursday
at McKinley High
Consolation bracket
- Match 10, 2 p.m.
Losers of Matches 2 and 4 - Match 11, 3:30 p.m.
Losers of Matches 6 and 8 - Match 12, 5 p.m.
Losers of Matches 7 and 9 - Semifinals
Winners of Matches 6 and 8, 6:30 p.m.
Winners of Matches 7 and 9, 8 p.m.
Friday
at Stan Sheriff Center
- Consolation
Winners of Matches 5 and 10, noon - Fifth place
Winners of Match 11 and 12, 1:30 p.m. - Third place
Semifinal losers, 4:30 p.m. - Championship
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
