At 5 feet 5, Hilo senior Lexi Paglinawan is always one of the shortest players on the volleyball court, but she usually finds big ways to contribute. ADVERTISING At 5 feet 5, Hilo senior Lexi Paglinawan is always one of
At 5 feet 5, Hilo senior Lexi Paglinawan is always one of the shortest players on the volleyball court, but she usually finds big ways to contribute.
The outside hitter was an all-around force, and Hilo outlasted Kamehameha 25-20, 25-23, 19-25, 25-21 in a BIIF Division I showdown on Thursday night at the Vikings Gym.
The Vikings (12-1) are now the front-runner for the BIIF regular season title, which includes the league’s first berth to the HHSAA tournament. They’ve already defeated Waiakea twice.
It’s more likely than not that the Warriors (11-2) will battle Waiakea (10-2) in the BIIF semifinals for the league’s other state spot. The two play on Oct. 5 at Kamehameha’s Koaia Gym before the playoffs.
Paglinawan put down 17 kills, and Kawai Ua showed, again, why she’s the BIIF player of the year, with 17 kills, including five in the last set. Taina Leao added 10 kills, and Kailee Kurokawa had five kills.
Even though everybody in the gym knows, Nani Spaar will get set when she’s in the front row. She was a monster presence with 34 kills. Kamehameha’s other standout sophomore outside hitter, Tiani Bello added 14 kills, and Tehani Kupahu-Canon had five kills.
In Game 4, Bello ripped a massive shot that Hilo libero Jamie Chun dug, and Paglinawan returned fire and found the floor. A Warrior hitting error closed the match.
The last time the two teams met, Kamehameha prevailed in a five-set marathon over Hilo, which struggled with its serve-receive passing and surrendered 16 aces.
The obvious question was how would Hilo handle Kamehameha’s serves?
Just fine in the 25-20 first set.
Hilo played really clean ball with only four unforced errors; Kamehameha had 12 giveaway points. Each team had 14 kills. As usual, Spaar (nine kills) and Bello (five kills) carried the offense.
In Game 1, Paglinawan displayed her shot-making, hitting cut shots around the block or sinkers in front of the back line. She led Hilo’s firepower in the first set with six kills.
When Hilo needed easy points, the defending BIIF champions had three blocks in Game 1. Kamehameha had zero roofs.
More importantly, the Vikings won the serving and serve-receive passing battle. They had no aces but surrendered none either. The Warriors had no aces but one service error.
In the 25-23 second set, Paglinawan and Ua played tag-team hitting partners. Each pounded five kills while Leao and Kurokawa provided balance from the right post with three kills each.
Like in the first set, the Viks passed good enough so setters Kurokawa and Makena Ahuna had enough sets from inside the 10-foot line to run a diverse offense. Even when the ball had to be dumped off to the left side, Paglinawan and Ua knocked kill shots down.
Kamehameha tied it 23-23 when Kupahu-Canon blasted an overpass. Hilo also gave up two aces but somehow survived, especially when the offense was so balanced.
Paglinawan cranked a line shot from the left side, and Kurokawa, from the right post, found a seam in Kamehameha’s block for game point.
In the 25-19 third set, Spaar was absolutely unstoppable. She got on a hot hitting streak and couldn’t miss. The 6-foot sophomore slammed 12 kills, including her team’s last five points. Kupahu-Canon had the offense’s other two kills.
Again, the Viks surrendered two aces and struggled to pass the Warriors’ tough serves. Kurokawa and Ahuna often scrambled to set the ball. And Spaar went back to hit, she was money.
But Hilo pulled out Game 4 behind the 1-2 punch of Ua and Paglinawan, who had two kills in the last set.
