KEAAU — It was Kamehameha analytical volleyball at its best in a win-or-stay-home match that felt more like a preparation for something bigger.
The Warriors scouted well, and wiped out Kalaheo 25-10, 25-17, 25-19 in the quarterfinals in the HHSAA Division I tournament on Saturday at Koaia Gym.
The two-time BIIF champion and No. 2 seed Warriors (16-0) will play Moanalua in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday at Na Menehune’s gym. Third-seeded Moanalua, the OIA champ, outlasted Kamehameha-Kapalama in five sets at home in its quarterfinal.
It’ll be a familiar matchup for the Warriors, who beat Moanalua last season in the semifinals before losing to Punahou in four sets for the state championship.
On paper, at least, the Mustangs (10-5) presented a formidable challenge to Kamehameha because of their size, particularly 6-foot-3 outside hitter Naia Singlehurst and 6-4 opposite Kainoa Peterson. The Warrior starters are all 6-1 or shorter.
Singlehurst slammed 25 kills, and Peterson added 14 kills in a first-round win over Lahainaluna on Friday. Their height and firepower overwhelmed the MIL runner-up Lunas, who were outhit, .306 to .141.
However, Kamehameha outhit Kalaheo, .294 to .000, and compiled far more kills, 36 to 23.
Isaiah Laeha led the Warrior offense with 10 kills and a .304 hitting clip. He had help from Avery Enriques (five kills, .444), Paki Iaea (five kills, .400), Emmett Enriques (five kills, .111) and Chase Carter (four kills, .500).
Singlehurst had seven kills and hit negative .129. Peterson tallied three kills and hit negative .059. The only Mustang above the Mendoza line was Daniel Beaton (eight kills, .385).
How did a smaller team neutralize two big Mustang guns?
Kamehameha watched Kalaheo play on OC16, and scouted other games. The Warrior knew Singlehurst hit high seam balls, a reason they stuck Carter, a backup 6-3 sophomore, on the right.
Carter, with his wide wingspan, had four block assists to help the Warriors win the roofing battle, 8.5 to 5.5.
Last year, he played on the junior varsity and was promoted to the varsity. Carter sat on the bench during the run to the state championship, but soaked up the experience.
“I was not expecting to play that much,” Carter said. “It was amazing. I was a little nervous in the beginning, but once I got used to it, then it was fun.”
Kamehameha coach Guy Enriques pointed out that Carter brought more than a block and an attack from the right side.
“He did a good job blocking and he looked really focused,” Enriques said. “He’s grown tremendously. He wants it and thinks about it. It’s a big thing for him. He plays for a club on Oahu. That’s how much he wants to get better, and he’s just a sophomore.”
It was Carter’s first shot at significant playing time at states, and he emerged as a future Warrior weapon. Another was Avery Enriques, often overshadowed by his older brothers Evan (now at Stanford) and Emmett, a 6-0 senior.
The 5-10 Avery, the same height as Addie, knocked down four of his five kills in the first set, and flashed the same type of versatile hitting as his two older brothers.
Equally important, Avery matched his offense with his defense. His deft ball-handling sparkled and he led Kamehameha with 10 digs. Senior libero Kekaulike Alameda had seven digs, and Emmett had five digs.
“In that first game, he was hitting and digging everything,” Kamehameha coach Enriques said. “It was huge on his part. I think he wanted to prove himself and he did.”
Besides scouting Kalaheo well, the Warriors have one other valuable thing in their pocket.
Tradition helps, too.
The Warriors know how to win at states. The senior starting class of Emmett Enriques, Alameda, and middle blockers Hanale Lee Loy (out with a sprained ankle) and Iaea have reached two championships against Punahou in 2012 and last year.
It’s a run that started with Evan Enriques, the oldest of coach Guy Enriques’ four sons. His two youngest are sophomore growing twins Addie and Avery.
If the wipeout against the Mustangs showed anything, it’s that winning at Kamehameha, especially at states, never grows old with bigger fish to fry around the corner.
