Punahou girls win state championship

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Punahou girls celebrate after winning the state volleyball title for the second time in four years. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

The Buffanblu — with only two seniors and an all-underclassmen starting lineup — held off Interscholastic League of Honolulu rival Kamehameha, 18-25, 25-19, 25-23, last night for the title before a noisy crowd of 4,077 at the University of Hawai'i's Stan Sheriff Center.

The championship is Punahou's second in the past four years and fifth overall.

After a sluggish start that put them one game down, the Buffanblu (20-0) took early control of the second game, and built an 18-12 lead in the third game, before the Warriors closed it to 24-23. Junior setter Pohai Nu'uhiwa then ended it with a dink near the antenna that was bumped out by Kamehameha.

"We came out flat, but as the game went on we got more confident," said Larissa Nordyke, Punahou's freshman middle blocker. "We started slow but finished good, and that's all that mattered."

The Warriors (18-3) took an 8-6 lead in the decisive third game, but Nordyke got back-to-back kills on quick sets in the middle and, after a kill by Kamehameha's Anela Iseke, Buffanblu junior outside hitter Aneli Cubi-Otineru got got four consecutive kills to put Punahou up 12-9.

The Buffanblu maintained at least a three-point lead until it was 20-18.

"We lost our game plan early on, but once we settled in we were OK," Punahou coach Scott Rigg said. "It took a while to find the right spots."

Warriors coach Chris Blake said he was proud of his team's effort at the end.

"The thing I like about this team is that they are always fighting back all the way to the end," Blake said. "The match came down to the final point — one bounce either way and it could have been different. But Punahou is a great team. They played their best match, and we played our best, and they won. But it was great volleyball."

Cubi-Otineru finished with a match-high 17 kills, and Elizabeth Ka'aihue added nine kills. Mounia Nihipali led Kamehameha with 15 kills.

Cubi-Otnineru, who was a freshman on the Buffanblu team that lost to Iolani in the state final two years ago, said although Punahou expects to return 12 players next season, they wanted to win now. The Buffanblu failed to qualify for last year's state tournament.

"When you work so hard, you don't want to give it up," she said. "Sometimes you only get one chance, and you won't always get again the next year."

Kalani def. Moanalua: Tamari Miyashiro had 14 kills and had 18 digs to lead the Falcons to a 25-22, 25-21 victory in the third-place match. Danie Hout had nine kills and seven digs for the Menehunes.

Kahuku def. Roosevelt: Camilla Ah Hoy had seven kills and Chazel Fizo six for the Red Raiders in their 25-19, 25-15 fifth-place win.

Kaua'i def. Kealakehe: Kehau Silva had 10 kills and Tina Moger added seven kills and 13 digs for the Red Raiders in their 25-15, 25-17 victory in the consolation final. Antoinette Alapai had six kills and nine digs for the Waveriders.

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