LIHU‘E — Kapa‘a High School boys volleyball split their series by dropping the junior varsity contests 2-1 before coming back with a 3-1 win in the varsity matches on Friday night during Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation boys volleyball matches at Kaua‘i High School gymnasium.
During the JV contests at the Raiderdome, Kapa‘a held off the JV Red Raiders, 25-23 in the opening set before dropping the next two sets 24-19, and 15-12.
On the varsity floor, the Warriors continued to feel the Red Raider pressure when Kapa‘a needed to come from behind to take the first set, 25-23. Kaua‘i High School rebounded to take the second set 25-19 before being overtaken by Kapa‘a 25-19 in the third set and 25-19 in the fourth set.
Kapa‘a trailed 22-19 in the first set before Warrior Kyle Baunsit pulled Kapa‘a to the 20-mark. Austin Green’s whack ended the Kaua‘i response at 23 points before Warrior Steeler Burley took the service block to serve up the remaining points for the win. The series included a pair of Red Raider miscues and back-to-back whacks from Baunsit for the 25-23 comeback.
The Raiders answered with an early lead in the second set and never looked back on its 25-19 win that was sealed by a combination Bryan Brown hit and block for the win.
On the third set, Kaua‘i faced a 10-6 deficit before Dylan Takata served up four straight points, including an ace, to pull the Red Raiders to within a digit at 11-10. The series included a pair of Kapa‘a hitting errors and a Kai Potts bang.
Kapa‘a went up, 14-11, but Kaua‘i answered with hammers from Isaac Mirey and Brown to pull to within one at 15-14. Kapa‘a held Kaua‘i at bay and surged to end the set on hits from Filisi Hunt and Emry Piturachsatit before the Raiders smacked into a hitting error.
The next volleyball games take place on Tuesday, when Kapa‘a hosts Waimea and Kaua‘i High School hosts the league-leading Voyagers. The JV games serve up from 5:30 p.m. at both sites with the varsity contests to follow.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
