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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, November 3, 2007

Seabury Hall reaches DII final

Photo galleryPhoto gallery: Seabury Hall vs. Word of Life volleyball
 •  New City Nissan Girls State Volleyball Tournaments

By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Word of Life's Chanteal Satele tries to hit over the block of Seabury Hall's Kaipo Rocha.

JOAQUIN SIOPACK | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Seabury Hall will have an opportunity to do what no Valley Isle team has done before — win a girls state volleyball title.

Yacine Meyer had 13 kills and Seabury Hall ended the match on an 11-3 run to beat Word of Life, 20-25, 25-17, 25-17, in the semifinals of the New City Nissan Girls Volleyball Division II State Championships last night at McKinley.

"It's beyond words. It's so fantastic," said Seabury Hall coach Scottie Zucco. "The seniors have been working so hard for so long. For them to keep pressing and keep pushing and actually get some results ... I'm just so happy."

The first girls state volleyball championship was in 1969. This is the third Division II state tournament.

Seabury Hall, the Maui Interscholastic League champion, will play Hawai'i Baptist in tonight's final at 7:30 at McKinley.

"We can do it," Meyer said. "If we can win it for Maui, the MIL, it would be great. Being in the finals is an amazing, amazing place for us to be."

In the third game, there were five lead changes and seven ties — the final one at 17-17. Meyer had three kills and a block during the match-ending spurt, including a dink to end it.

"I told her before the match, don't over-think it, just play volleyball," Zucco said.

Seabury Hall's Kaimi Rocha had nine kills and twin sister Kaipo Rocha added six.

Word of Life, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up, took a 6-1 lead in the first game, but Seabury Hall eventually went on a 6-0 run with Alex Bolduc serving to take its first lead at 10-9.

The first game was tied eight times, before the Firebrands went on a 6-0 run with Chanteal Satele serving to go up 23-17.

In the second game, Seabury Hall (14-0) went on a 7-0 run with Keana Carter serving for a 12-3 advantage. The Spartans' lead reached 21-9 after consecutive kills by Meyer.

"The first game we came out shaky," said Bolduc, who had five kills. "The second game we came out firing and really wanted it."

The Firebrands got within 23-17, but Kaipo Rocha's kill and an ace by Anuhea Rilveria ended it.

Seabury Hall had 11 kills and five hitting errors in the third game, while Word of Life (14-7) had seven kills and eight hitting errors.

"We came back and we played with heart. That's been our theme all year, and we pulled through," Meyer said.

Satele, who had eight kills without an error in the first game, had nine kills and eight errors over the final two. Crystal Powell had five kills in the first game, but only three over the final two.

Word of Life was unseeded so it was playing for the third consecutive day.

"I don't want to make any excuses; it could've, it could not have," said Word of Life coach Lee Ann Satele, the mother of Chanteal, when asked if fatigue was a factor for her team. "I think Seabury was fresh, they were hot, you have to give them credit. They brought it."

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.