LIHU‘E — Kapa‘a High School boys volleyball got the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation boys volleyball second round off to a good start after sweeping a tough challenging Kaua‘i program on Tuesday night at the Kaua‘i High School gymnasium.
The junior varsity Warriors needed three sets to get past the JV Red Raiders, 26-24, 22-25 and 15-8 behind a strong showing from the middle on both sides of the ball.
The varsity Warriors shook off strong Kaua‘i challenges in the first and third sets to leave the student-named Raiderdome facility with a 25-22, 25-14 and 27-25 victory behind the hammering of Emry Piturachsatit, Filisi Hunt and Austin Green.
Scores from the Waimea at Island School matches were not available.
Kapa‘a got off to a 9-6 lead behind three straight points served up by its libero Kamalei Dasalia-Mundon that was enhanced with a Kyle Baunsit whack and a Red Raider net violation in the first set.
The Raiders answered when Isaac Mirey put up five straight points enhanced by an ace and hits from Cameron Holt-Ho, Bryan Brown and Kapa‘a miscues for the 13-12 go-ahead.
The seesaw continued until a Kaua‘i service error and a pair of net violations put the Warriors knocking on the Aloha ball.
Kaua‘i clawed back with a Dylan Takata bang and calls against the Warriors for lifting and a net violation before a Piturachsatit bang put away the set, 25-22.
In the third set, Kapa‘a came back from a 18-16 deficit to a 22-18 go-ahead behind five points served up by its second libero Alakai Sakai-Giddens that was laced with a Warrior block and hits from Piturachsatit and Green.
Faced with a 24-20 deficit, Kaua‘i answered with four points from Kaina Andrade to knot the contest, 24-24 behind a Raider block and Warrior errors.
Green hammered out point 25 for Kapa‘a only to have Raider Xaedan Valdez answer for the 25-25 stalemate.
Green pounded out point 26, and then the Raiders stumbled on an error for the 27 -25 Kapa‘a set.
KIF boys volleyball action continues on Friday when Kapa‘a hosts Waimea High School at Bernice Hundley Gym, and Kaua‘i hosts the first round title holder Island School at the Raiderdome.
The JV games at both sites serve up from 5:30 p.m., followed by the varsity contests.
In a late report filed by Waimea head coach Tori Kagawa, the JV Menehune were a 2-1 winner over Kaua‘i during games played on April 5 at Clem Gomes Gym.
The Menehune JV prevailed 25-13, 20-25 and 16-14.
On the varsity court, Waimea took the Raiders in straight sets 25-22, 25-22 and 25-16.
