WAIMEA — The only predictable aspect of the match was its consistent unpredictability. In a season that has delivered plenty of five-set drama already, the Kaua‘i Red Raiders and Waimea Lady Menehune played the most important and, perhaps, most incredible
WAIMEA — The only predictable aspect of the match was its consistent unpredictability.
In a season that has delivered plenty of five-set drama already, the Kaua‘i Red Raiders and Waimea Lady Menehune played the most important and, perhaps, most incredible match yet, Friday night at Waimea High School.
In the end, Waimea (6-0) took the first-round crown by surviving a 25-21, 25-11, 26-28, 19-25, 15-12 match to remain atop the standings by themselves, eliminating the need for a playoff.
Scripted like a movie, the match was played in three distinct sections and turned on its head more than once.
The final set was itself a microcosm of the night. The Lady Menehune jumped ahead by a 7-3 count, as Mariah Oliver had a solo block for a kill.
Though they began to tally more points, the Raiders were doing themselves no favors as back-to-back serves into the net put Waimea up 9-6.
Kaua‘i then stormed back as Reanna Javinar had two blocks at the net for kills and a Malia Kagawa finish off a Waileia Kanealii feed put the Raiders up 12-10, completing a 6-1 run.
Seeing themselves three points from a playoff match, Waimea put a stop to the Kaua‘i scoring spree, as a Fiare Moe ace tied the set at 12-12. The serve caught plenty of net and then trickled over into no-man’s land for the winner.
Tatiana Rita gave the Menehune a one-point edge on a kill off a Moe set, followed by a Brandee Victorino emphatic finish to give Waimea two match points at 14-12.
Neither team was conceding anything and they combined for one of the longest rallies of the night, until Rita again ended the point with a spike to send Waimea jumping for joy.
Jayme Jacinto had 12 kills to lead Waimea, followed up by Victorino, who had 11 to go with 11 blocks.
Rita had seven kills, three of them coming in the final frame. She added three blocks and two aces.
Moe led her side with 21 assists, while Searra Kaohi added nine.
Jazzy Bradbury had four kills and two blocks, while Robin Moura had seven blocks.
Vakeesha Lagazo came up with 10 digs.
Kaua‘i’s Teal Basquez tallied 14 kills and 10 digs. Kagawa had 13 kills to go with eight assists and four digs.
Kanealii compiled a match-high 23 assists in limited time at the setter position. She also had seven kills, six digs and six blocks.
Reanna Javinar totaled six kills and 14 blocks at the net, while Shyanne Sadora had eight kills, nine blocks and four digs. Tyra Tandal had four kills and four blocks.
Waimea used an 11-1 run to gain control of the opening set, grabbing a 20-10 lead and eventually getting seven set points at 24-17. Kaua‘i saved four of them, using a number of sprawling digs to stay alive, but Rita had the winner on a Kaohi set for the 1-0 lead in the match.
Kaua‘i seemed completely out of sorts in the second set, spotting Waimea an 8-0 lead and never making a push as the Lady Menehune ran away with it, 25-11.
The third set was the pivotal juncture for Kaua‘i, which fell behind once again, this time trailing 10-4. From there, the Raiders managed an 8-1 run, which included two Basquez aces.
They traded the lead for most of the set, as Waimea got a match point at 24-23 after a great exchange ended in an Oliver kill. Kaua‘i saved that point on a Basquez kill to knot things up at 24-24.
Down 25-26, Kanealii won back-to-back points for the Raiders by catching the Menehune off guard with shots over the net on the second hit. It worked each time and Kaua‘i then won the set when a Waimea kill went long.
Trailing 7-3 in the fourth, the Raiders put together a 14-3 run coming out of a timeout to take a 17-10 lead. Waimea got back to within two points, but never closer as Kaua‘i sent the evening to a fifth set with the 25-19 topping.
Kaua‘i (4-2) finishes the first round in second place, having lost its two matches in five sets to unbeaten Waimea.
The Kapa‘a Lady Warriors (2-4) pulled out a 3-0 win over the Island School Voyagers (0-6) at Kapa‘a High School.
Kapa‘a came away with the 25-23, 25-18, 25-19 win.
In junior varsity action, Kapa‘a again won by sweep over Island, 25-19, 25-21, then 25-17 in the exhibition set.
Waimea won its JV match over Kaua‘i 25-23, 25-22, with Kaua‘i then winning the third set, 25-15.
With no playoff, the girls are off until Sept. 28 when Kaua‘i will host Kapa‘a and Waimea hosts Island School to open the second round of the 2010 season.
