PUHI — Waimea High School boys volleyball swept its series over Kaua‘i High School, and Kapa‘a split its series against Island School, during Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation volleyball matches on Friday, April 14, 2023.
The junior varsity series saw the Menehune take 25-13, 25-18 and 15-1 wins over the Red Raiders at the Kaua‘i High School gym. At Wilcox Gym, home of the Island School Voyagers in Puhi, the JV Warriors were 32-30, 25-11 and 15-11 winners over the Voyagers following a strong Kapa‘a comeback in the final set.
In varsity play, Waimea made short work of Kaua‘i High, taking a quick 3-0 win, 25-16, 25-20 and 25-21.
At Wilcox Gym, the Voyagers took a long time to get its 3-1 win over Kapa‘a, 25-11, 24-26, 25-23 and 25-21, behind the hitting of Bodhi Jones and Michael Fitzgerald. The Fitzgerald boys, Michael and Mark, were also announced to the strong audience as birthday celebrants.
Michael Fitzgerald broke the Voyagers away from a 6-2 bulge to serve up seven unanswered points in the first set to a 13-2 lead, the series being helped by a hit from Kash Lanini and three Michael Fitzgerald aces.
Kapa‘a answered the hole with Austin Green in the service block serving up a string of seven points laced with a Napela Mokuahi hit and block, and a pair of lift calls against Island School.
Lanini took over the Voyagers service block to get Island School to a 22-9 lead, the string of points being helped by hits from Kaelen Suzuki-Kaohi, Orion Magaoay and Jones, making his first scoring contact. Jones continued to whack to 23-9 and 24-10 before a Warrior miscue shut the door at 25-11.
The Warriors answered in the second set on hits by Kyle Baunsit, Moku Tolenoa and Kyler Napoleon to a 10-7 edge. Kapa‘a’s Chris Rapozo and Jones exchanged hammers to a 12-8 Kapa‘a lead before Magaoay took the service block to knot the contest 13-13 on a Rapozo thunk down the middle. Jones knotted the contest, 23-23, only to have Rapozo pull Kapa‘a to 24-23 before hitting errors dropped the Voyagers, 24-26.
Kapa‘a next makes the trip to face Waimea on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at Clem Gomes Gym, while the Voyagers go up against Kaua‘i High School at the Kaua‘i High gym. The JV games at both sites serve up at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity matches, but not earlier than 6:30 p.m.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 ordfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
