HONOLULU — Following Waimea High School loss to top-seeded University Lab Schools, 21-25, 20-25, and 18-25 on Friday night, the unseeded Menehune roared back to finish third in the New City Nissan Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II boys state volleyball tournament.
HONOLULU — Following Waimea High School loss to top-seeded University Lab Schools, 21-25, 20-25, and 18-25 on Friday night, the unseeded Menehune roared back to finish third in the New City Nissan Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II boys state volleyball tournament.
The Menehune boys clinched third by defeating ‘Aiea in two sets — 25-18 and 25-12 — on Saturday.
Haweo Akeo and Kelani Lewis again led the Menehune attack with Akeo posting 12 digs, nine kills with one miscue, and Lewis nailing seven kills with three errors. David “Kaio” Tsuchiya and Josiah “Jojo” Banasihan set the plays with Tsuchiya getting 15 assists and Banasihan getting another 10 assists. Both setters had five digs apiece.
Playing at the Cannon Center at BYU-Hawai‘i, the Menehune broke away from a 9-9 stalemate in the first set behind whacks from Akeo and Lewis before Na Ali‘i called at time out at 14-9. That couldn’t stop Akeo and Lewis, whose kills coupled with Aiea errors for a 21-13 Waimea lead.
Aiea came back on hits from Sila Unutoa, and a Banasihan whack made Na Ali‘i use its second time out at 21-15. Aiea’s Marcus Tauanuu aced for the 22-17 Waimea lead before Makenyah Okeigar and an Aiea error closed the set, 25-18.
In the second set, the Menehune strung together two clusters of six-point strings to get to a 19-8 lead before Aiea called a time out. Waimea went on to seal the deal on a Banasihan whack, 25-12.
Earlier in the tournament, the unseeded Menehune went five sets to get past No. 4 seeded Radford, 25-22, 28-26, 23-25, 22-25, 15-8 in the Division II quarterfinals that opened Division II play on Radford’s court.
In that win, Waimea got 14 kills apiece from Akeo and Tsuchiya, and 11 kills apiece from Banasihan and Lewis, who also recorded Waimea’s sole ace in the win.
Tsuchiya and Banasihan posted assists of 23 for Tsuchiya (also 17 digs) and 29 for Banasihan (12 digs) in the win over the No. 4 Rams, who got a dozen kills from Kainalu Shiraishi. He also had 23 assists and 17 digs. Menehune libero Matteo Medina had 27 digs in the quarterfinal victory.
