KEALAKEKUA – Good luck stopping the Konawaena volleyball team once they get rolling.
While the Wildcats didn’t truly get in a groove until the second set of Wednesday’s BIIF D-II Semifinal against Parker, they were still able to sweep their way into Thursday’s Championship match. After a 25-14 win in set No. 1, Konawaena settled in during the final two sets, winning by scores of 25-6 and 25-9.
“They haven’t played in so long: first set jitters and wanting to do well, over-adrenaline,” Konawaena assistant coach August Dias said of the difference in his team’s play after the first set. “They settled down and played a lot better in the second and third sets.”
Strong serving once again proved to be an advantage for the Wildcats; they racked up 19 aces in the match, led by Taimane Alo with five, followed by Malie Lee and Braelyn Kauhi with four apiece.
“We’ve always said one of our biggest strengths is our serving,” said Dias. “It’s our first line of weapons. To get the other team out of system time and time again, it makes it easier for us.”
When not recording aces, Konawaena’s offense proved to be in rhythm throughout the night. Lee led the Wildcats with 11 kills, followed by Kauhi with eight, while Marina Nitta and Kaelyn Shibuya each notched seven.
Konawaena will return to the court Thursday night, when they host the BIIF D-II Championship against Hawaii Prep.
Ka Makani defeated Pahoa 25-13, 25-15, 25-7 in Wednesday’s other semifinal contest in Puna.
Konawaena dealt HPA their lone loss of the season on Oct. 19, defeating Ka Makani in four sets. HPA standout Parker Lewis was unable to play in that match, however, her return adds some intrigue to Thursday’s championship match.
“We just have to play our game,” Dias said. “We practice hard. Every practice, we tell them to practice like a champion.”