KAPAA — Kapaa High School girls volleyball celebrated its Senior Night by taking both the junior varsity and varsity contests on Tuesday in Kauai Interscholastic Federation matches played against Waimea High School at Bernice Hundley Gym.
The JV Warriors took the first and third sets for its 25-15, 15-25, and 15-11 win.
During the varsity matches, the Lady Warriors shook the Menehune in straight sets 25-16, 25-16 and 26-24 after Waimea made a concerted comeback effort in the third set.
Scores from the Island School at Kauai High School were not available.
Kapaa broke a point exchange series with the Menehune after deadlocking the first set at 14-14. With a point lead, 16-15, Kapaa senior Olivia Jenkins delivered seven straight points from the service block before Carlyn Kamoku closed the door in no uncertain terms.
During Jenkins’ tenure in the service block, she nailed an ace and got help from four Kamoku bangs, a solid Warrior block and a lift call against the Menehune.
The trend of earning points on achievement instead of miscues continued into the second set when Kanani Silva took control of the service block.
Trailing 15-14, Silva delivered seven straight points, including an ace before the Lady Warriors lost the side on a passing error. In her service string, Kanoe Hanneberg knotted the contest at 15-15 on a smack, Jenkins and Tyra Carvalho each got whacks, and the Warriors notched another block to the pleasure of the near capacity audience.
During the third set, Waimea pulled back from a 7-5 hole when a Milana Schaefer hit secured the side and a Kaylen Lewis hammer knotted the score. Kapaa was called for multiple hits and Waimea went up 8-7.
A Lewis hit and an ace from Kaulana Huihui-Caberto pulled Waimea to within a digit at 14-13 before Kapaa’s Kuuipo Hunt took over the service block for four points to bring Kapaa to the 20-point mark. During that stint, Jenkins delivered two smacks, Carvalho had one and Kapaa notched another block.
Waimea would not relent. Down 21-15, Wailana Tanigawa-Christian took the Menehune service block for three marks after a Sage Chaney, her first point of the game, bang up the middle secured the side.
Taira Samiano, normally the setter for Kapaa, answered with her hit for point to pull the Lady Warriors to 23-21. Waimea’s Ekena Mose and Kalia Yaris responded to knot the contest at 23-23. A Kamoku bang put Kapaa up to 24 only to have Mose answer for the 24-24 deadlock.
A Hanneberg bang and a Kapaa block closed the door 26-24.
With the win that Kapaa Coach Paea Tafea described as “not good enough,” the Lady Warriors improve to four wins and a loss in the KIF second round. This ties Waimea’s record with each school facing one more game in the regular season.
On Friday night, Kapaa will take on Kauai High School at the Kauai High School gym, and Waimea High School will visit Wilcox gym to take on Island School. The JV games at both sites will start at 5:30 p.m., followed by the varsity contest serving 25 minutes following the end of the JV game.
•••
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
