LIHUE — The Kapaa High School girls volleyball team is the new Central Pacific Bank Kauai Interscholastic Federation champion.
Playing Friday during the final regular season contest at Kauai High School gymnasium, the Lady Warriors under the coaching of Paea Tafea outlasted Kauai High School in four sets 25-19, 25-22, 24-26 and 26-24. The victory at the facility labeled The Raiderdome by Kauai High School students was the cherry on the cake.
At Wilcox Gymnasium on the campus of Island School, the Lady Voyagers pulled off a five-set upset over the visiting Waimea High School wahine. No official scoring was available from Island School or Waimea High School, but spectators at the Saturday morning CPB KIF cross-country championships confirmed the Lady Voyager win in five sets that gave the CPB KIF crown to Kapaa High School.
The reports also put to rest any playoff scenarios that existed before the teams entered the gymnasiums. Kapaa High School, the title holder of the first round, needed a win to stay in the chase with its one loss that if suffered at the hands of Waimea.
Waimea also faced a one-loss Round 2 after being edged out by Kapaa on Tuesday.
The Menehune was handed its second loss of Round 2 by the Voyagers on Saturday, thereby giving the Round 2 and the CPB KIF title to the Lady Warriors, who finished the season with 11 wins and one loss. Waimea High School follows with six wins and six losses.
Earlier on Friday night, the Red Raider junior varsity defeated the Kapaa JV 25-18, 25-16 and 13-15. No scores were available from the Island School contest.
During the first set at the Kauai High School gymnasium, Kapaa took and early 6-1 lead and stayed ahead until the Red Raiders caught up and tied the set at 17-17 behind a tandem blocking effort. But the Lady Warriors pulled ahead and sealed the deal on a Kaylee Baltazar ace and a Kauai passing error.
The second set saw Kapaa come back from a 5-3 hole to a 6-6 logjam.
Kauai went on a long point string behind Leila Caoagas, who served to a 12-6 lead with held from a pair of net violations against Kapaa, and strong hits from Camryn Yates and Naomi Ikimaka.
Facing a 15-12 hole, the Lady Warriors got an ace from Kanani Silva and Olivia Jenkins whacked to keep Kapaa chasing, 17-16 before netting an ace to deadlock the match 17-17.
The seesaw continued until Taira Samiano served up straight points that included a pair of whacks from Carlyn Kamoku and a smack from Kanoe Hanneberg that put Kapaa up 23-19. A Hanneberg whack settled the matter.
In the third set, Kauai looked at a 20-17 hole before Lily Corpuz served up four straight points, including an ace and hits from Zariah Fernandez and Yates.
Kapaa knotted the set 21-21 on a Red Raiders hitting error, and after building to a 24-24 tie behind hits from Kamoku and Kayla “Maka” Rivera, stumbled on a hitting error and Kauai’s Ikimaka sealing its only win of the night.
With its CPB KIF title, the Lady Warriors wait on the New City Nissan Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II girls volleyball championships that will play on Oahu between Oct. 30 through Nov. 2.
