Kaua‘i squads master the ‘Challenge’

The Garden Island

Both Waimea and Kaua‘i swooped up division victories in the Kaua‘i Challenge Invitational, yesterday.

The Red Raiders defeated Pearl City for the Onipa‘a title (bronze) and the Menehune sliced Sacred Hearts in the ‘Olinolino Division (silver).

Vista Murietta bounced Redondo in the Po‘okela ranks (gold).

“We started off kind of slow, but we picked it up,” Waimea head coach Chad Delanoza said. “It was back and forth throughout the first set.”

Waimea then went on a run of seven straight points to take control of the initial set.

“We had a well-balanced attack,” Delanoza said. “They (Sacred Hearts) had some major unforced errors. We closed out the first set with an error on a serve by them.”

In the second set, the Menehune continued to roll.

“We got out to a big lead and they had a lot of miscues,” Delanoza said. “We played sideout volleyball until the end. They had a lot of good opportunities, but they had a lot of unforced errors. Overall it was a terrific match.”

The tournament enabled Waimea to improve as the regular season approaches.

“We’re trying to find some good team chemistry,” Delanoza said. “We also gave our younger players a chance to play in the heat of the battle.”

Delanoza said his team is getting close but is still trying to find the push needed to take them over the top.

“Against Seabury in the final set, we were up 13-11 and ended up losing 16-14,” he said. “We’re still building ourselves up for this season. Our junior class is the meat on our team.”

Waimea, who returns key people in key positions, picked up valuable experiences from the event.

“I hope this is something that becomes expected of them,” Delanoza said. “This is a great confidence booster for them. I think we’re looking for great things this season.”

• Duane Shimogawa Jr., sports editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) or kauaisports@kauaipubco.com.