The Kaua‘i High School girls volleyball team played five games for the second time in as many outings, but with different outcomes Saturday. After tangling with the first round title holder Waimea Wednesday, the Red Raider ladies met the defending
The Kaua‘i High School girls volleyball team played five games for the second time in as many outings, but with different outcomes Saturday.
After tangling with the first round title holder Waimea Wednesday, the Red Raider ladies met the defending KIF champions Kapa‘a Saturday.
But after falling to the Menehune Wednesday, Kaua‘i pulled more arrows out of their quiver and walked off with a victory Saturday.
That five-game win, 25-21, 14-25, 25-19, 14-25 and 15-10, gave Kaua‘i a split as the boys dropped the opener in four games to Kapa‘a, the state’s Division II champions. Kapa‘a took that series 25-23, 23-25, 25-21 and 25-22.
A Kapa‘a hitting error turned the tide in game one as Kaua‘i chipped out a lead behind Warrior service errors and hitting misfires. A Sam Koga ace coupled with an Auika Muragin soft touch down the middle for the 21-15 lead that grew as Jamie Jiminez aced a serve and Kaua‘i sealed the deal on a Kapa‘a hitting error.
But it wasn’t all Kaua‘i as the Warrior wahine turned the tide in game two when a point reversal by the official broke the Kaua‘i momentum.
Kapa‘a setter Joliann Arzadon served up an ace, Brittney Carvalho hammered one down the middle, and Kaua‘i passing errors saw Kapa‘a with a 16-13 lead.
Another Carvalho hit down the middle, a block and a Poe Gantt hit off the Kaua‘i block widened the gap 20-14. Carvalho teamed with Destiny Smith on another block, a Gantt hit that sidled the net combined with more Kaua‘i passing errors and a Leisha Moniz ace was followed by Gantt and Carvalho sealing game two on a dual block.
Jiminez’s early misfires in game three ignited and a pair of kills and a Kirsten Cummings ace pulled Kaua‘i into the lead of game three for good as Jori Jasper sealed the deal with an untouched kill.
A Gantt kill with Kapa‘a leading 9-2 was challenged by a Jiminez kill but Carvalho served up an ace to stretch their lead 16-4 in game four.
Koga served up another ace for Kaua‘i that combined with Kapa‘a hitting errors to claw back to within eight points, but an Arzadon hit, a Maliana Hamada roof and a Kaua‘i service error put the game out of reach as Carvalho and Smith delivered the final blows.
Kaua‘i controlled the final contest after Jiminez tied the contest 3-3. From that point, Kaua‘i handled the lead, answering each Kapa‘a point.
Kapa‘a tried to appeal a Jiminez kill, but was overruled and despite a Gantt kill, Kaua‘i answered with a Jasper slap kill and three marks as Kara Cummings, who played with finesse in the middle, finished the deal delivering a pair of pushes down the middle and a block for the win.
With Waimea controlling the first round title for both the boys and girls, all three teams have a week to hone their skills for round two which opens Oct. 4 when Kapa‘a hosts Waimea starting at 5 p.m.
In the second round, the girls will play first followed by the boys game starting no earlier than 6:30 p.m.
