KAPA‘A — Following a two-set wake up call, the Kapa‘a High School girls volleyball team roused on Friday night to take Kaua‘i High School girls in five sets — 23-25, 25-7, 22-25, 25-16 and 25-2 — during a Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls volleyball match at Bernice Hundley Gym.
Kapa‘a’s Olivia Malafu, playing a strong and versatile middle, whacked a solid ball to give Kapa‘a a point advantage in the opening set, 10-9. That was answered when Kaua‘i team captain Keira Caoagas took the service block for a string of four straight points that forced Kapa‘a errors that ended with a solid Lady Warriors block, 13-10.
Kapa‘a middle Sierra Summer took the service block for a string of five points that was enhanced with another Malafu hit that pulled the audience back from the distraction of the neighboring Boys &Girls Club, Kapa‘a Clubhouse blessing, 16-14.
Trailing 21-17, Kaua‘i libero Mackenzie Nii took the service block to break the teeter-totter on five straight serves that was laced with an ace and hit from Katelyn Lopes for the 22-21 go-ahead point.
Following point exchanges, Kaua‘i put away the set, 25-23 on hits from Lopes and Naomi Ikimaka.
Kapa‘a answered in the second set on strong service block showings from its setter, Taira Samiano, who built a 14-5 lead on six unanswered points that included a whack from Carlyn Rapozo-Kamoku. Summer took the block late in the set for seven straight points that included hits from Kanoe Haneberg, Olivia Jenkins and Malafu to put the set to bed
Following the fourth set win, 25-16 that forced the fifth set tiebreaker, Kapa‘a again took to the service block, when Kailee Ann Baltazar built up a 7-0 bulge that included hits from Jenkins and Summer before Kaua‘i answered with a point by freshman Leila Caoagas.
Rapozo-Kamoku took the service block for three points before Leila Caoagas pointed the second Red Raiders mark, 10-2. Ku‘uipomakamae Hunt took the block for a string of five points that was laced with whacks from Rapozo-Kamoku and Malafu to close the deal at 15-2.
With the win, Kapa‘a next makes the trip to the Clem Gomes Gym to face the Menehune on Tuesday.
In other action, the varsity Voyagers, holder of the KIF first round crown, needed four sets to get past host Waimea, 25-11, 15-245, 25-16 and 25-18 at Clem Gomes Gymnasium in Waimea.
Earlier in the evening, the Kapa‘a Junior Varsity were a three-set winner over the JV Red Raiders — 25-14, 25-20 and 25-20 at Bernice Hundley Gym.
The JV Menehune took control of the JV Voyagers in three sets — 25-2, 25-10, and 25-20 at Clem Gomes Gym.
Kaua‘i will be visiting the Voyagers at Wilcox Gymnasium on the Island School campus. The JV games at both sites are scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m., followed by the varsity games starting 25 minutes after the end of the JV matches.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
