WAIMEA — The Menehune held on to win a five-set thriller at home. Waimea High School’s varsity girls volleyball team defeated Kapaa, 3-2, Tuesday evening. “Another big step for us, definitely,” said Menehune head coach Chad Delanoza. “It is positive
WAIMEA — The Menehune held on to win a five-set thriller at home.
Waimea High School’s varsity girls volleyball team defeated Kapaa, 3-2, Tuesday evening.
“Another big step for us, definitely,” said Menehune head coach Chad Delanoza. “It is positive momentum for us, especially coming off that first round. We talked about the changes that the girls have made. They’re subtle. Nothing big and drastic. But the biggest thing is that they hung together.”
After surrendering the first two sets, the Warriors rallied to win the next two games to force a fifth set.
In the final game, Waimea (7-2 KIF, 3-0 second round) then jumped out to lead by as much as nine points to win the set, 15-5. Menehune freshman setter Leiko Yamauchi scored two-consecutive aces to win the set. She had four aces in the game.
“In that fifth game during the change over, I think it was a matter of them wanting it,” Delanoza said about winning the last set. “They started their own huddle. They had to talk it through. Our coaches just kind of stood back and let it happen by themselves. It’s a growing night for us and a big step.”
Waimea was in prime position to win in straight sets after winning the first two, 25-21 and 25-21. However, Kapaa (7-2 KIF, 2-1 second round) rallied to win the following pair of games, 25-16 and 25-21.
Warriors junior middle blocker Paea Tafea got the set-winning kill in the fourth.
“That one, hard to say. Our passing got better. We took care of the ball better. We didn’t give up the ball easily,” said Warriors head coach Evan Costa about the two games his team won. “That part of the game, we just came out swinging, and that’s what you need to do — swing to win.”
After finding themselves in a sizable deficit to start the fifth, Costa quickly called two time outs to try to stymie the Menehune’s momentum, but it was to no avail.
“That’s all it was. It was just to stop the bleeding. Just to tell them to play one ball at a time. But hey, Waimea tasted blood and they came after it. Which is what they do,” he said. “Waimea, they had more grit. And that’s what had happened. They showed up with more of that grit, more of that fire. They took care of business.”
Though the Menehune lead the second round standings, Delanoza said he’s taking it with a grain of salt. The team was in the same position in the first round, and then lost its last two games to Kauai High and Kapaa to award the Warriors the first leg of the season.
“It’s a learning experience now, knowing we were in the same situation last time around and we let it slip away. We got really got complacent,” Delanoza said. “We’re in a situation where we can manage a little better, hopefully, and take the great things and make things better for us in the end.”
Waimea senior outside hitter Ariell Aquino-Lazaro had 19 kills, including the game-winner in the first set, and two aces. Senior middle blocker Brandee Burton had 11 kills, a block and an ace. Senior setter Alyssa Pigao had 42 assists and two aces.
Tafea had 12 kills and five blocks for Kapaa. Senior backside hitter Tori Daligcon-Pomaikai had 10 kills, two blocks and an assist. Senior setter Kunani Tuttle had 34 assists and an ace.
Kapaa won the junior varsity contest, 2-1. The Warriors won the first and third sets, 25-13 and 25-7. The JV Menehune won the second, 26-24.
In the night’s other Kauai Interscholastic Federation volleyball match, Kauai High (4-5 KIF, 1-2 second round) won in straight sets at home against Island School, 25-17, 25-7 and 25-7. The JV Red Raiders also won in straight sets over the Voyagers, 25-12, 25-14 and 25-16.
Waimea will play at Island School (0-9 KIF, 0-3 second round) and Kapaa will play at Kauai High on Friday. The JV matches will begin at 5 p.m. and the varsity will follow.
