Punahou girls, boys win openers

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Punahou School girls volleyball team showed last night it is ready to defend its state championship despite its best player being out for the next 12 matches.

Punahou's TJ Zabriskie puts up a block as Kamehameha's Ernest Vidinha spikes the ball during the Buffanblu's win over the Warriors. Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

Cubi-Otineru, a senior who has signed a national letter of intent to play for the University of Hawai'i, is on academic probation and won't be eligible until late October, after the ILH's first round is complete.

But in a rematch of last year's state final, Punahou passed its first big test without her, powering past the Warriors before a Hemmeter Fieldhouse crowd of about 700.

"We knew we could do it even without Aneli, because we've adjusted and prepared ourselves," said Buffanblu outside hitter Larissa Nordyke, who finished with a match-high 15 kills. "It's a different experience without Aneli, but she's been supportive. We still have a lot of talent on this team, and we've trained hard."

Punahou displayed its prowess early, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first game. After a timeout, Kamehameha rallied to tie it at 7-7, and it remained tied until 11-11. Then Nordyke had five kills to help the Buffanblu take an 18-12 lead.

The Warriors eventually closed it to 24-22, but Punahou won the game on another kill by Nordyke, a 5-foot-9 sophomore.

"She's a great player," Kamehameha coach Chris Blake said. "She's gotta be reaching the high 9s, maybe 10 feet, and even when we put our best blockers up there, she would go over them."

The Warriors did a better job of digging and blocking in the second game, and had it tied at 17-17 despite falling behind 9-4. But Nordyke had three kills, and the Buffanblu took advantage of three errors en route to outscoring Kamehameha 8-2 and capture the match.

"We didn't play up to our potential," Blake said. "We made a lot of mental errors and didn't execute well. But Punahou's a great team, and we'll take a lot from this loss."

The Buffanblu apparently took a lot from the loss of Cubi-Otineru, a 5-9 outside hitter who was a three-time Advertiser All-State first team selection. Punahou returned five other starters, but shuffled its lineup without Cubi-Otineru in the preseason and got production from some new faces last night.

"The best thing about tonight is that we stayed patient," Punahou coach Scott Rigg said. "Kamehameha got a lot better from the last time we played them (in preseason), and they made a couple of good surges. But I think our group has been together a lot longer, and I'm glad they were able to stay patient. And we had a great bench — people like Jess Holland, Natale Rigg, Sydney Yogi ... A good bench can be a coach's best friend."

It also helps to have a player like Nordyke, who was able to move from middle blocker to outside hitter in place of Cubi-Otineru. Nordyke played an impressive supporting role as a freshman last season, but suddenly was thrust into a leadership position this summer.

"The coaches told me I've got a lot on me as the H-1 (first hitter)," Nordyke said. "It's hard to fill Aneli's shoes, and normally I'm anxious and just banging away at the ball. But tonight I was just waiting to see the block, waiting to see the court. I didn't want to make errors."

Rigg called it "even keel" volleyball.

"She stayed calm," Rigg said. "That was good for her."

Sophomore opposite Elizabeth Ka'aihue added seven kills, and junior outside hitter Kaui Robello added five kills and 11 digs.

BOYS

Sophomore Spencer McLachlin had 12 kills and three blocks, and freshman Erik Shoji and senior Ka'ohu Berg-Hee each added seven kills to lead Punahou past Kamehameha, 23-25, 25-10, 25-20, at Hemmeter Fieldhouse.

It is believed to be the Buffanblu's first victory in three seasons over the Warriors, who won state championships in 2001 and 2002, and were last year's state runner-up.

The first game was tight, with the teams separated by three points only twice. Punahou was up 24-21, but Kamehameha closed it to 24-23 after a kill by Ronson Olaso and a back row violation.

A hitting error by the Warriors then gave the Buffanblu game point.

Punahou dominated the second game, racing out to an 11-1 lead as McLachlin tallied three kills and two blocks. The Buffanblu extended the lead to 16-4 and 20-7 before winning it.

Punahou jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the third game, but Kamehameha rallied and eventually took the lead at 16-14. The Buffanblu took the lead back at 18-17 and never trailed again.

Olaso and Kory Matsukado each had nine kills to lead the Warriors.

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