KEALAKEKUA — Kealakehe had seen this movie before.
Just over a week removed from pulling off an epic, two-set comeback against four-time BIIF champion Kamehameha in the regular season, the Waveriders did it again — and this time, with much more on the line.
After dropping the first two sets, Kealakehe rallied for a thrilling 22-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-17, 15-7 victory on Wednesday night at Ellison Onizuka Gymnasium, capturing the program’s first title since 2003.
“Another nail-biter but these kids fought hard. I’m so proud of them,” Kealakehe head coach Kahinu Lee said. “This isn’t just for this year’s team. It’s for all the years leading up to this — the sweat and the tears. I couldn’t be more proud.”
When the final ball went the ‘Riders way, senior teammates Anthony “Head” Trevino and Ismail Souza embraced, Ezra Kahanu buzzed around the court like an airplane that had lost its radar, and the Kealakehe faithful quickly flowed from the stands onto the court to celebrate the long-awaited end of a title drought.
“We have a lot of heart and so much trust in one another,” Kealakehe senior Anthony Trevino said. “That’s what carried us tonight.”
“It means everything,” sophomore Isaiah Hooper said. “No words can explain.”
The tag-team duo of Trevino and Hooper combined for 55 of the Waveriders 64 kills. Trevino led the way with 30 kills to go with 12 digs, while Hooper had 25 kills and a team-high 19 digs.
“About midway through that third set, we felt the momentum start to shift to our side,” Hooper said. “I just thought in my head to keep swinging high with a snap and keep the ball in. I kept it in and look where it got us.”
Setter Ikaika Pali was responsible for a whopping 48 assists, while Kahanu contributed defensively with 17 digs.
“Setters go unnoticed but they are the quarterbacks,” Lee said. “They run every play and never stop. Ikaika played awesome, giving my hitters the exact sets they needed to do the job.”
Nainoa Cabalo was the Waverider leader in blocks with five, while Ismail Souza and Ikaika Pali each had four.
For the four seniors on the roster, especially Trevino — a multisport athlete — this was the last chance for a BIIF title with their name on it.
Mission accomplished.
“It’s hard to talk about it,” Trevino said. “It’s something I’ve wanted for all the sports I’ve played. We were never able to do it. But tonight, we finished the job. I’m so happy for everybody.”
Souza and Trevino were two key cogs in the Kealakehe machine and grew up dreaming of bringing a BIIF title to their school. It was no coincidence they found each other first when the final point went on the scoreboard.
“We grew up together and always talked about winning a BIIF title,” Souza said. “We actually did it — we got first place. Shout out to this whole team. It’s been crazy.”
Some of the younger Waveriders weren’t born the last time Kealakehe won a title in boys volleyball. But the common thread is Lee, who was the head coach of that 2003 team.
“We just had to trust the process,” Lee said. “If we did that, we knew we would come out on top.”
It’s been a trying year for the Warriors (12-3), who entered the season having not lost a league game since 2013. This year, all three of Kamehameha’s losses came after winning the first two sets.
Nalu Kahapea led Kamehameha with 28 kills, and Isaiah Nakoa-Oness was close behind with 24.
After falling behind two sets, the Waveriders collected themselves. The consensus statement in the huddle — we have been here before.
”I told the boys keep fighting,” Lee said. “This was our season. We knew we had the fight in us.”
Both teams advance to the HHSAA tournament, which will be held May 3-5 on Oahu. As the BIIF champion, Kealakehe (13-2) has earned a first round bye. Kamehameha will host a first-round match on Monday.
The Waveriders head to the tourney for the first time in 14 years. It’s the 13th consecutive trip to the state tournament for the Warriors, who were the state runner-up a year ago.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” Trevino said. “We can’t have these five set comebacks. It won’t work up there.”
The ILH has had a dominant grip on the Division I tournament, Punahou in particular, winning 11 of the 13 titles since 2004. Last year, the Buffanblu beat Kamehameha in the state title game in four sets.
The Big Island’s lone state title in the sport came in 1969 — the first year of the tournament — when Hilo won the title under head coach Pete Nelson.