Practice time is a precious commodity for Hawaii Prep coach Sharon Peterson.
Practice time is a precious commodity for Hawaii Prep coach Sharon Peterson.
With many of her volleyball players off island for spring break, Peterson made the most at practice by spending quality time with the three or four players in attendance. Everyone is back now, but with three matches on tap in the next five days, there is little time for drills.
“Where we are now; that is where we are going to be,” Peterson said.
But where are Ka Makani now? Like most Division II teams, they’re inexperienced, especially in terms of club play. While Ka’u likely has the best player again, Konawaena has shown improvement and Honokaa has gone through growing pains, HPA is more of an unknown with only two games under its belt.
Some coaches might assume otherwise, but Peterson said she’s got nothing special up her sleeve when the Big Island Interscholastic Federation season resumes after breaking for the Haili tournament. Ka Makani (2-0) end an 18-day hiatus Monday with a match at Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino.
“Just good kids that listen and follow instructions – most of the time,” she said. “They like to have a good time. I think I’m more competitive than they are.”
HPA returns both middle blockers in Abe Binder, who was second-team all-BIIF last season, and Tucker Higgins. Ghar Pautz plays rightside hitter for his club team on Oahu but he’ll play on the left for Ka Makani, who will also count on Colin Yates. Athletic freshman Zach Chaiken could provide another reliable arm.
“I just like hanging out with this group,” Peterson said.
Until further notice, the difference-maker in Division II is Kai Enriques, last season’s Player of the Year for defending champion Ka’u. The Trojans (3-2) have a pair of losses to Division I teams, but the senior outside hitter gives his Ka’u a big edge against D-II foes. Of the seven players who made all-BIIF first team last season, Enriques is the only one back.
“He doesn’t have to have the perfect set to be an effective hitter,” said Wildcats coach Ainsley Keawekane, whose team was swept in Pahala in mid-March. “He’s a handful. Smaller for an outside hitter, but his volleyball IQ is off the charts.”
In his second season at the helm, Keawekane said Konawaena’s court acumen has improved. The Wildcats reeled off three victories in three days just before the break to improve to 4-2. In a way, the stretch reminded Keawekane of the schedule his Ho’opa Hawaii girls club team faces when it competes on the mainland.
“It didn’t give the boys enough time to think about their mistakes,” he said.
Keawekane, who’s guided the Konawaena girls to consecutive HHSAA titles, said he doesn’t see the commitment on the boys side yet to start a club team. As a byproduct, most players reach high school with little experience.
“For a lot of them, last year was their first playing volleyball,” he said. “I’ve been working on their skills.”
Among the Wildcats’ top returnees are leading blocker Kalalena Santiago and setter Kauila Wall, and Keawekane is high on the potential of his other starting setter, freshman Benjamin McKinley. He called his team’s outside hitting a work-in-progress.
In its first match off the season, Konawaena erased a two-set deficit to beat Kohala in five games. The Cowboys (1-3), under first-year coach Nick Lorenzo, will host Pahoa (3-2) on Friday in a rematch of a play-in game last year that Kohala won to reach the semifinals.
Honokaa (0-3) joined Ka’u at states last season after losing a five-setter in the BIIF final, but the Dragons only return two players.