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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, October 2, 2009

Kahuku spoils Govs' night


By Stanley Lee
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kahuku came prepared for an emotional match.

Playing in front of a raucous crowd on Farrington's senior night, Kahuku swept the host Governors, 25-17, 25-15, in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red East volleyball match last night at Richard Kitamura Fieldhouse.

Amanda Tonga and Ho'onani Apo had seven kills each in the balanced Kahuku attack. Malia Tonga added five kills and Elizabeth Blake four.

"We were very focused, we stayed calm and played our game," Amanda Tonga said.

The Red Raiders, ranked No. 3 in The Advertiser's Top 10 poll, end the regular season at 11-1. Brydgette Tatupu-Leopoldo had five kills for No. 10 Farrington (8-4).

Elsewhere, No. 6 Moanalua swept Kalaheo, 25-19, 25-13, and also finished the regular season at 11-1. A tiebreaker will determine the seedings for the upcoming OIA playoffs.

Kahuku knew a quick start would help overcome the noise. The Farrington crowd was cheering, singing and jumping for most of the night in a gym that was filled with banners with the seniors' names, along with white and maroon balloons and streamers.

"That's how we practiced yesterday," Malia Tonga said. "We knew it was going to be their senior night and so one of our main focus was to have a quick start and take it."

Kahuku got kills from four different players to start Set 1 with a 10-4 lead. Farrington called a timeout when the lead extended to 13-6, and then rallied.

Fenumiai Tofilau had two kills to cut the deficit to 17-11. Setter Brandy Vergado-Duclayan then had a tip at the net for a kill, and followed with a dump set to help the Governors close to 18-14, forcing Kahuku to call a timeout.

"We were pumped up, excited," Vergado-Duclayan said. "I guess we were to (excited)."

Natallia Cravens had a kill down the middle for Kahuku out of the timeout, and kills from Teuila Nautu and Amanda Tonga put the Red Raiders ahead 21-15. After successive Farrington hitting errors made it 24-17, Tonga's kill on a step out ended Set 1.

In Set 2, the Red Raiders got out to a 10-5 lead. Kahuku errors and kills from Desiree Klemin and Fraustina Sagapolu helped Farrington close to 13-10.

Malia Tonga's kill on the next play helped Kahuku pull away. Apo had three kills, Blake had one and Tara Domingo had a service ace to extend the lead to 22-14.

Kahuku followed with a block after a Farrington timeout, and Domingo had another ace to put the Red Raiders at match point.

Farrington's Sagapolu then had her third kill of the match, but Amanda Tonga's kill ended it.

"We had a lot of teamwork," Malia Tonga said. "We had girls on the court playing their heart out and we had girls on the bench cheering as loud as they could and that helped."