PAHOA – Pahoa senior Keinan Agonias likes volleyball and all, but he wasn’t ready to commit himself to playing full-time until his college future was secure.
Once that happened, Agonias decided to the return to the court, and he made all the difference Saturday as the Daggers swept Konawaena 25-23, 25-21, avenging their only BIIF loss in the Blue division.
Agonias was the team manager March 2 when Pahoa (4-1) lost in three sets in Kealakekua. He recently learned he was the recipient of an academic scholarship to UH-Hilo, and with peace of mind in tow, he knocked down six kills against the Wildcats, including a Game 2 point that gave Pahoa the lead for good at 21-20.
“I don’t have to worry about the unknown of next year,” Agonias said. “I can spend time with my friends for the rest of the year and enjoy being a senior.”
The Daggers are a half-game behind Konawaena (5-1) – which pulled double-duty and beat Christian Liberty 25-16, 25-21 on Saturday night – and now own the head-to-head tiebreaker. The top seed in the Blue division earns a bye into the semifinals of the six-team (three red, three blue) Division II playoffs.
Kealii Kuahuia smacked 12 kills and Viliami Kaea added seven for the Wildcats, who were the more prolific hitting team but also were far more error-prone.
Early hitting from Troy Aukai (five kills) staked Konawaena to an 8-2 lead in the first set, but the Wildcats gave away the next three points away on errors, and the miscues became a theme. Kuahuia put down four consecutive balls in Game 2 to get Konawaena off to another strong start, but two errors and two Ariel Colobong aces later, the match was tied, and Agonias and Brycen Palama started ripping balls to give Pahoa points.
“We were more consistent and our passing and serving got a lot better,” Pahoa coach Sheri Kaehuaea said. “Our goal is to get hitting from all over, but when someone is hot we want to make sure we give it to them.”
Palama finished with five kills and Colobong, the setter, served three aces.
Besides putting his studies first, Agonias was also a first-team all-BIIF Division II selection in basketball. He said he plays volleyball because most of his friends play.
“He holds the team together and brings them out of their shell,” Kaehuaea said. “He really gives us a voice on the court.”
Heading to Graceland
Agonias isn’t the only Dagger with college plans. After the match, libero Kaelen Padilla signed his national letter of intent to play for Graceland University, an NAIA school in Lamoni, Iowa.
“He’s a libero, he’s a setter, but he really likes to be a hitter when he has a chance,” Kaehuaea said. “The best thing about Kaelen is he’s an all-around player. He can handle any situation.”
“I always knew he had potential to get (a scholarship). It was about if he wanted to go out and do the extra work.”
A volleyball player since his freshman year, Padilla put up a profile at the National Collegiate Scouting Association website, and after a recent practice, he got a text from Yellowjackets coach Mark Lau.
The gist of Lau’s message: You can be an asset.
While many of the BIIF’s best outside hitters have to adjust to playing libero in college, Padilla will resume the role he’s held the past few years.
“I should know what to expect,” Padilla said. “Even though the game over there is higher, I should know what the basics are.”
Sight unseen, Padilla chose the offer over ones from Missouri Valley College and Morningside. He plans to major either in athletic training or nursing.
“He had his doubts,” Kaehuaea said, “but we told him he could go away and experience it and home will always be home.”
