Kaloi sisters on opposite sides of the net
By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Sisters Janalle and Kimi Kaloi are used to being around tennis courts together. But last weekend it was different — they were there as rivals.
Janalle, a junior at Santa Clara, and Kimi, a freshman at Loyola Marymount, competed in a West Coast Conference match Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
J. KALOI
"It was so weird having my sister on another team," Kimi said. "I think it would have been totally different if we lost, I would have been really upset, but we came out with a victory, so it was OK."
Loyola Marymount defeated Santa Clara, 7-0.
Janalle, a 2001 Kamehameha Schools graduate from Wahiawa, lost her match to Carla Aguelles, 6-4, 6-0, at No. 1 singles.
Kimi, a 2003 Kamehameha grad, defeated Casey Knutson, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, at No. 3 singles.
"I didn't know who to cheer for, it was my sister and one of my best friends," Janalle said of Kimi's match against Knutson. "I just kept my mouth shut, I didn't want anyone's feelings to get hurt."
The Kalois were supposed to face each in No. 1 doubles, but Kimi sat out because of tendinitis and right shoulder impingement because of overuse.
Kimi wasn't supposed to play at all. She had rested the week before and has not played since, but expects to play against Brown tomorrow.
Kimi said she wanted to play against Santa Clara because "I was actually supposed to go to Santa Clara, but I didn't get in because of grades, so I just wanted to beat them."
"Plus, my sister used to speak highly of them, and I wanted to beat them and her."
The Kaloi family has had a lock on the Hawai'i state high school doubles title for the past four years. In 2000 and 2001, Janalle and Kimi teamed up to win.
In 2002, Janalle and younger sister Heidi — now a junior at Kamehameha — won. And last year, Kimi teamed with Lauren Shin to make it four in a row.
Janalle, who was the WCC co-Freshman of the Year and an all-WCC honoree last season, has a 9-12 record in singles this season, including 7-9 at No. 1. She is also 8-13 in doubles, where she has had four different partners.
Kimi has a 12-9 singles record, including 5-6 at No. 3, where she has played most of the season. She has a 6-11 doubles record with three different partners.
"I've always played with one of my sisters," Kimi said. "That was difficult in the beginning of the year. We've been playing together for 11 years, both my sisters know my attitude on the court, where I like to hit the ball, what side I like to play and my style of play."
Their father, Alex, mother, Jan, and Heidi all traveled to Southern California to see them play.
"It was good for (Heidi) to see what a college match was like," Janalle said.
Janalle said her father wore a Santa Clara baseball cap and a Loyola Marymount polo shirt.
"I told him to take that shirt off," Janalle said.
Kimi said it was the first time her parents saw her play this season.
"It was so nice, I haven't seen them since Christmas and I was dying to see them all together," Kimi said. "I knew I couldn't go home for spring break, so it was perfect timing, playing Santa Clara."
Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2457.
