WAIMEA — The Waimea High girls volleyball team held off a strong challenge by the visiting Kaua‘i High girls to win in four sets, 3-1 Friday night during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls volleyball games at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea.
Earlier in the evening, the Menehune junior varsity girls were 3-0 winners over the JV Red Raiders, 24-14, 25-21 and 25-19.
The victory over Kaua‘i High, by scores of 25-16, 26-24, 19-25 and 25-22, completes a winning week for the Menehune after taking Island School 3-2 Tuesday night when the scores were not available until the Friday-night contest.
Following a three-set win by Island School, 25-23, 26-24 and 25-20, the varsity Menehune see-sawed the scoreboard with Island School, taking the first set, 25-21 before being edged out by the Voyagers 25-23. The Menehune claimed the third set 25-21, but was forced into the fifth set after the Voyagers pushed a 25-20 win in the fourth set. Waimea settled the evening with a 15-10 win in the best-of-five scoring format.
The Menehune opened strong in the first set Friday on a string of serves punctuated by a block from Safina Sandblom and timely hits from Cherish Tavita and Sandblom for a 16-8 go-ahead. Sandblom added a string of points from the service block that were enhanced with hits from Ambrieal Kanahele and Kaylen Lewis before the Menehune sealed the deal on a Kaua‘i service error.
Kaua‘i High, earlier falling to Kapa‘a in straight sets, was roused by the first set with Waimea when Keira Caoagas saved a Kaua‘i ball and followed with a string of unanswered points peppered with an ace to give Kaua‘i an 8-2 bulge in the second set.
Facing a 13-5 deficit, Waimea’s Haley Zina took the service block to lace together a string of points that included hits by Tavita and Kalia Yaris, pulling Waimea to within four points, 11-15. The Menehune overtook Kaua‘i behind a string of serves by Sandblom that included an ace, and hits from Kaulana Hui Hui Caberto and Keani Cabral for the go-ahead, 24-21, before closing the door on Kaua‘i miscues.
Kaua‘i’s blossoming in the third set included some hitting from Elise Yukimura, who doubled with a string of points from the service block. Yukimura’s hitting was joined by Edyn Naka‘ahiki and Shania Kelley and strong showings by defensive specialist Jaclyn Oshiro and middles Aubrey Bechard and Mikayla Alonzo.
No scores were available from the Island School-Kapa‘a High contest at the Bernice Hundley Gym in Kapa‘a.
The next KIF girls volleyball games serve up Tuesday when Waimea makes the trip to the Bernice Hundley Gym to face the Kapa‘a Lady Warriors, and Kaua‘i High will visit the Wilcox Gymnasium on the Island School campus in Puhi to match up with the Lady Voyagers. The JV games at both sites will serve up from 5:30 p.m., with the varsity contests getting underway 25 minutes following the completion of the JV games.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
