WAIMEA — The Waimea Lady Menehune clinched a season title and kept their undefeated record intact with a 22-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23 victory over the Kaua‘i Red Raiders at Waimea High School on Wednesday night.
With the win, Waimea (11-0) made certain that there would be no playoff, eliminating the possibility of tying for the second half’s best record with either Kaua‘i or Kapa‘a High School.
It was a match worthy of crowning a champion as both teams put on strong performances that created a back-and-forth feel throughout the contest.
“That one could have gone either way,” Waimea coach Chad Delanoza said after the match.
The opening game was as tight as it could have been with neither team extending beyond a two-point lead until Waimea broke a 16-16 tie with a 4-0 run.
Trailing 22-19, Kaua‘i coach Corey Morishita called a timeout to regroup his team. Whatever he did worked and the Raiders won the next six points, the final five coming on Malia Kagawa’s serve, a stretch that included two aces.
Outside hitter Shyanne Sadora had four blocks and two kills in the game. Waimea’s Fiare Moe had 10 assists, four of them going to Robin Moura.
The second game was tight, as well. Waimea’s Brandee Victorino served exceptionally well, notching two early aces, but Kaua‘i managed to keep the margin small.
Again trailing 22-19, Coach Morishita used the same strategy as the previous game and called timeout. However, this time it did not have the same effect. A Jayme Jacinto kill gave Waimea a 24-20 edge and they evened the match when a Kaua‘i kill attempt found the net.
Victorino had four kills, while Jacinto led both teams with five. Kaua‘i’s Kagawa and Teal Basquez each had three kills.
The Raiders shook off the loss and created what seemed to be a dominating lead in the early going of game three. Everything was going right as they built a 14-4 advantage.
But the Lady Menehune clawed their way back and a 10-2 run cut Kaua‘i’s lead to 16-14.
A terrific dig by Waimea’s Brandi Chinen kept an important point alive and Waimea eventually won the rally, evening the game at 21-21.
With Jacinto serving at 22-22, there was some confusion on Kaua‘i’s side as it appeared the Raiders were thinking about making a substitution. The action did not occur quickly enough and the official’s whistle led to a Jacinto ace, giving Waimea the one-point lead. They took the next two points, including a kill for Hamiha Arquette to grab a 2-1 lead in the match.
What ended up being the final game was no less dramatic than the first three. Neither team would hold a greater than two-point lead throughout the entire game. Long rallies and multiple-dig points gave this Waimea Senior Night what it deserved – a championship feel.
Trailing 23-21, Waimea made its most crucial stand of the season, coming back again to even the match, then taking a 24-23 lead on a Jacinto winner. The final rally was back and forth, until a Kaua‘i kill attempt clipped the top of the net and fell back onto the Raiders half, officially giving Waimea the 2009 KIF championship.
“I’m speechless after that long, dragged-out match,” said Coach Delanoza, who did manage to find a few more words to describe the night.
“They (Waimea) worked for that win. Beating Kaua‘i is no easy task, but somehow we found the will.”
Coach Delanoza continued to credit his players for the deserved success throughout the season.
“It was never about us (coaches),” Delanoza said. “It was always about the kids and what they needed to do.”
Kaua‘i’s Janessa Grady had another strong outing as the team’s primary setter, finishing the night with 26 assists and six blocks.
Waimea’s Moe had 32 assists, while Jacinto had 17 kills to lead both teams.
Victorino tallied nine kills, four blocks and two aces for Waimea.
Kagawa had nine kills for Kaua‘i. Waimea’s Chinen had seven digs on the night, playing a strong defensive game in the Lady Menehune’s back row.
Though they have a title in hand, the Lady Menehune will look to preserve a perfect regular season record when they face the Kapa‘a Lady Warriors (5-6), Saturday at Kapa‘a High School. Kaua‘i (6-5) concludes with a home match against Island School (0-11).
