KAPA‘A — The Central Pacific Bank Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls volleyball contest for the championship will serve up at 6:30 p.m. on Monday night at Bernice Hundley Gym on the campus of Kapa‘a High School.
A playoff was triggered on Friday night when Kapa‘a High School swept its series over the Island School Voyagers which, earlier in the season, captured the First Round title following a playoff against the Lady Warriors.
Kapa‘a, getting a late start in rolling the ball, dropped the first set to the Voyagers, 25-22 before rebounding to take the following three sets — 25-14, 25-12 and 25-17 — to capture the second round crown. The win also triggered the playoff for championship.
Earlier in the evening, the junior varsity Warriors were 2-1 victors over the JV Voyagers, 17-25, 25-17, and 25-22 to finish runner-up in the KIF for JV girls volleyball.
The CPB KIF championship for JV girls volleyball belonged to Waimea High School which took a three-set win — 25-8, 25-18 and 25-23 — over the Red Raiders in contests waged at the new Kaua‘i High School gymnasium. This resulted in the Menehune claiming the JV title with an undefeated season.
On the varsity courts, the Menehune rolled on the momentum of the JV sweep, taking the varsity Red Raiders in three straight sets — 25-16, 25-19 and 25-22.
Kapa‘a, paying tribute to two of its graduating seniors — Sierra Summer and Olivia Malafu — got a late start after Island School rolled to a 10-5 bulge in the night’s opener behind the service string by Brooklyn Valentio and whacks from Brittany Valentino and Mary Magoun.
Sienna Yamashita took the service block and pulled Kapa‘a to within a point at 10-9 with a string of points that were lacked with hits from Carlyn Rapozo-Kamoku and Olivia Jenkins.
The progress stopped when the Warriors were called for multiple hits to send Island School’s Katie Brown, one of four Voyager seniors, to the service block for the 14-12 go-ahead.
The Lady Warriors turned the tide when Sierra Summer did duty in the service block for three points to knot the contest 16-16 on a Summer whack.
Island School answered on hits by Brittany Valentino, and a Mary Magoun string of serves pulled the Voyagers to a 24-20 bulge with hits from Madelyn Halladay and Brooklyn Valentino sealing the deal.
Led by the all-around performance from Malafu that frustrated the Voyagers, the Warriors pulled away from a 10-7 lead to take the second set. They continued through the third set, and in the final set, after Island School overcame frustration, but could not capitalize on the newfound momentum.
The first serve in the Monday night playoff for championship goes at 6:30 p.m.
