WAIMEA — There was only one thing missing for Kapa’a in their game against the Menehune — head coach Merrill Carvalho’s hair. “I told them (the team) that I shaved my head because it would prevent me from pulling out
WAIMEA — There was only one thing missing for Kapa’a in their game against the Menehune — head coach Merrill Carvalho’s hair.
“I told them (the team) that I shaved my head because it would prevent me from pulling out all my hair,” Carvalho said jokingly after their three set win.
The Warriors began the second round the same way they ended the first round, with another convincing win, which gave them a 5-0 (1-0) unblemished record. Last night the Warriors trashed the Menehune in three straight sets, 25-20, 25-17, 25-19.
“It’s good to get the first win (of the second round). It’s also good to start off on a positive note; it lessens the pressure, but we’ve got three more (games) to go,” Carvalho said.
Henry “Da Hurricane” Borges led the way in the first set, while Danny Rodrick and Lyndon Pascual chipped in for the first set victory.
Waimea’s Chris Newcomb and Calsen Agrade kept the game close with numerous kills.
Rodrick continued his precise setting in the second set, as Nate “No Debate” Borales came up big with two kills to end the set in favor of the men in green.
Kollin Morikawa and Alton Shimatsu were standout performers in the second stanza for the Menehune.
Kapa’a controlled the third set as well, thanks to superb play by Kaina Kahaunaele, Chaz Galvez, Chris “Da Fro is back” Ramelb, and John Beralas.
KIF volleyball continues on Saturday, as the Warriors face the Red Raiders at the Bernice Hundley Gymnasium. The first match begins at 5 p.m.
Kapa’a girls prevail despite Waimea’s surge
Whatever it was that jolted the Menehune women in the first two sets, needed to be duplicated badly in the last three sets, as Kapa’a surged past Waimea last night in a five set thriller, 23-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-11, 15-14.
The Clem Gomes crowd took in a great match between two teams heading in different directions.
The Warriors improved to 5-0 (1-0) and the Menehune dropped to 0-5 (0-1). However, Waimea took it to Kapa’a early on, dominating the first two sets, thanks to the heavy hitting by Banana Kajiwara and Chaslee Delanoza.
The senior, nicknamed “Banana” for her colorful personality, controlled the ending of the first set with three kills for the 25-23 win.
In the second stanza, the Warriors held leads of 10-5 and 15-10, but the Menehune capitilized on Kapa’a miscues. The action heated up at the completion of the second set, as Warrior coaches Kaipo Kealalio and Milo Haneberg argued a conterversial net violation call, but the head official didn’t budge and Waimea took the second set, 25-21. It was all Kapa’a after that, as Poe Gantt flexed her Tahitian muscles with seven third set kills for the 25-11 drubbing of Waimea.
The all or nothing fifth set went down to the wire with Kapa’a leading by just a point at 13-12, but Amniesty Ragsac nailed a kill for the 14-12 advantage. Kajiwara answered for Waimea, but in the end the Warriors prevailed for the 15-14 match clincher.
