PUHI — The Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation hosted just one set of girls volleyball games on Friday night after a series that was supposed to be played at Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea was “rescheduled” due to a lockdown stemming from a search for a wanted man by the Kauai Police Department.
The Kapa‘a High School girl volleyball teams, the scheduled opponents of the Waimea Menehune, became part of the audience at Wilcox Gymnasium on the Island School campus where the host Voyagers split its series against Kaua‘i High School.
Opening before an audience that nearly filled the gym, the Junior Varsity Red Raiders, anticipating its homecoming festivities starting Monday, handled the JV Voyagers, 2-1 after dropping the opener 22-25 and rebounding to take the remaining two sets 25-22 and 25-20.
Action flip-flopped on the varsity courts to five sets, as the Lady Voyagers outlasted the Red Raider girls, three sets to two — 25-16, 25-19, 18-25, 25-26, and 15-9.
The Voyagers started out strong by capitalizing on Kaua‘i miscues and hitting led by the Valentino sisters, Brooklyn and Brittany. Mandy Gokan put in a strong night in the service block.
On the Raiders’ side of the bench, Mikayla Alonzo sparked the red effort with strong hits over the middle from the setting by Keira Caoagas.
The Raiders also got nice court leadership from Aubrey Bechard, and glimmers of greatness from Kawaianuhea Medeiros whose bang sealed the third set, 25-22 on a Voyager ball misplay.
Leading 22-20 in the fourth set, a Kaua‘i service error pushed the Voyagers up, and a series of hitting errors pushed the Island Schools up even further. when Brittney Valentino sealed the progress with a hit.
Kaua‘i’s Katelyn Lopes grapped the spotlight and whacked three straight bangs to force the fifth set in extra points.
Following a close start in the fifth set, Kaua‘i fell to court miscues from a 5-5 deadlock that was stopped on an Alonzo bang to keep the Raiders close, 6-8. More miscues demonstrated the exhaustion on both sides of the net until another Alonzo whack gave the Raiders its final point at 9.
Digging deep, the Voyagers got its final two conks in when a Madelyn Halladay whack stopped the scoreboard at 13-9, and Brooklyn Valentino’s whack gave the Voyagers a 14-9 before a Raider passing error spelled the end.
Kaua‘i High School girls next travel to Clem Gomes Gym on Tuesday to meet the Menehune, and the Voyagers make the trek to Bernice Hundley Gym on the Kapa‘a High School campus to meet the Lady Warriors.
The JV games serve up starting at 5:30 p.m. at both sites, followed by the varsity contest starting 25 minutes after the JV games.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
