LIHU‘E — Fans got their money’s worth on Tuesday night when the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation opened its 2023 boys volleyball season with contests at Wilcox Gymnasium at Island School, and Kaua‘i High School gym that accommodated several hundred people.
The night ended with split victories at both sites, as the Waimea Junior Varsity opened Wilcox Gymnasium with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 15-4) win over the JV Voyagers.
“You missed it,” a fan at the Kaua‘i High School gym remarked. “Overtime, extra points! It’s going to be an exciting season.”
The Voyagers took the Menehune, 3-1 (17-25, 25-21, 25-20, 28-26) with the fourth set going into extra points.
On the Red Raider floor, the Kapa‘a JV was a 2-1 (31-33, 25-14, 15-7) winner over Kaua‘i JV after it dropped the first set to Kaua‘i in extra points.
Kaua‘i High School came back in the nightcap with a 3-2 (30-28, 20-25, 34-32, 19-25, and 15-13) edge over the Kapa‘a varsity before an audience that relished the extra points in the first and third sets.
Kapa‘a rebounded from its first-set loss that saw Kaua‘i plagued with service errors, but the Warriors falling on a hitting miscue despite the strong showing from its hitters, including Moke Tolenoa, Kyle Baunsit, and Kyler Napoleon thunking down the middle for winning games in sets 2 and 4 to force the fifth set.
The Raiders answered with its set of hammers, including Bryan Bown, Noah Louis, Syrus Delos Reyes, and Cade Myers making their way through the night filled with lead exchanges and ties before Kaia Edwards watched with a no-touch signal, as Kapa‘a dropped the exciting fifth set with its defensive return dropping harmlessly outside the line.
The KIF boys volleyball continues Friday, when Kaua‘i High School takes the trip to Clem Gomes Gym to face Waimea High School, it’s varsity boys looking for a “W” following its Tuesday night sting from the Voyagers.
Island School will make its way to Bernice Hundley Gym in Kapa‘a to face off against the Warriors, who, like Waimea, is looking for its entry into the winners’ circle. The junior varsity games start at 5 p.m. at both sites with the varsity contests following, but not earlier than a 6:30 p.m. tipoff.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
