WAIMEA — The Kauai High School boys volleyball team was five points away from closing its Kauai Interscholastic Federation season Friday night at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea, said Red Raider coach Enoch Aana.
Waimea was leading 2-1 and had a 20-17 point advantage in the fourth set when Aana called a time-out.
“We are down 17-20,” the coach said. “We are five points away from having our season end. Whatever the outcome, I am proud of you.”
When play resumed, the Menehune continued to build on its lead, getting a point on a Kauai lift and Regis Lomongo forcing a Kauai error for a 22-17 bulge.
Joshua Rivera answered with a hit to pull Kauai back, 19-22 before Waimea’s Jacob Delos Reyes answered for the 23-19 lead.
But Seth Bautista served up a string of six unanswered points to force the fifth set. Kauai capitalized on Waimea miscues, a Delos Reyes encounter with the net drawing the set to a 20-20 tie before back-to-back double hit calls, and Rivera forcing the tie-breaker with a crowd-arousing hit, 25-23.
Kauai took the first point of the tie-breaker on a double hit against Waimea, and the Menehune, despite tying the set at 10, and 12, lagged as Kauai pulled ahead on a Kaimani Tecson hit, a Menehune net violation, and Rence Soriano sealing the deal, 15-12 against the efforts of Menehune defenders Jhanelmar Cadiz and Regis Lomongo.
The Red Raiders kept their fire going with a 3-2 win — 17-25, 25-23, 25-27, 25-23 and 15-12 — to the delight of the Kauai junior varsity squad who earlier in the evening took a 3-0 win over Waimea — 25-9. 25-21 and 25-19.
“Our sophomores — Rence Soriano and Keane Tibon — came through big time,” Aana said. “Keane came through with two big blocks at critical points, and Rence had the winning point. I prayed for a good game, and whatever the outcome — be it a ‘W’ or an ‘L,’ I’m proud of these boys. They went down fighting, and I know that’s how it’s going to be every game. We’re going to the end, fighting.”
Waimea, despite dampened with the five-set heart-breaker, celebrated its nine seniors — Delos Reyes, Cadiz, Lomongo, DJ Pabre, Bronson Kailikini, Matthew “Makaio” Kaohelauli‘i, Kaimi Lau-San Agustin and Jaime Mararagan. Each outgoing player took a set from Coach Alton Shimatsu and banged it over the net to the delight of its home crowd.
“I’m happy for these seniors,” Aana said. “We had one senior, Seth Bautista, come back. Next year, we have 11 seniors, and I can feel the emotion from each of these players’ parents. Waimea played a great game as they always do. I love to play all of the schools in the KIF — they all bring something to the table and I’m so proud we get to be a part of this.”
Waimea next travels to Bernice Hundley Gym Tuesday to take on Kapaa High School with the junior varsity match serving up from 5 p.m. followed by the varsity game starting no earlier than 6:30 p.m. Kauai will host Island School with the junior varsity starting at 5 p.m.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
