At first glance, it looked like Waianae would have an easy night against Hilo after smashing missiles and going up 2-0 in what looked like a volleyball mismatch.
But the Vikings showed the type of heart reserved for champions and stunned the Seariders 15-25, 20-25, 25-18, 25-16, 15-11 in the Division I state tournament first round on Monday at their gym.
Hilo (6-2) next faces OIA champion Kahuku (12-1) in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Thursday at McKinley High’s gym on Oahu.
Waianae (11-4) had more firepower and height across the board. The OIA’s No. 3 team had more kills, 53-42, and more blocks, 10-3.
But Hilo turned a weakness into a strength. Once an error-prone serving team, the Vikings had 11 aces and just five serving errors. The Seariders had six aces and seven momentum-draining serving errors.
In Game 5, Hilo junior outside hitter Kaliko Kealoha knocked down five of her 21 kills, and junior middle Kyana Gabriel added four of her 20 kills.
Nicanora Clarke, a 6-foot outside hitter, slammed five of her match-high 25 in the fifth set, and Waianae was far more efficient with just one unforced error. Hilo had four giveaway points in the decisive set.
Gabriel pounded consecutive kills, and Jordan Liusa served an ace to push Hilo ahead 11-7.
Waianae junior outside hitter Leleapao’o Krug, who had 11 kills, put down a backrow kill to cut Hilo’s lead to 13-11, but it was too little too late.
The Vikings had stolen the momentum in Game 3 and it carried over into the final set. The hometown Hilo fans went wild when the Vikings roofed the Seariders for a 14-11 lead.
After a long back-and-forth rally, Hilo junior setter Eleina Young tooled a shot off Waianae for match point.
Back in 2017, Hilo was involved in the greatest BIIF comeback championship in league history. But Waiakea was the winner after going down 0-2 and rallying back for the BIIF title.
As far as five-set marathons go, this one ranks second in significance. Against a taller, more physically imposing, and experienced team, the Vikings knocked down all the odds and upset the Seasiders.
“We played with heart,” said Hilo coach Kaleinani Kahananui, who along with her Vikings, was not on that 2017 team. “We’ve been trying to get Kealoha out of her comfort zone and just swing.”
The 5-10 Kealoha faced a constant double block on every swing, but she hit smart, often going around the block or over it with well-placed tip and roll shots.
In Game 1, Waianae put its height to good use with six blocks, and Larryn-Alexis Joseph-Rodrigues smashed an overpass for set point.
Clarke was a terror in Game 2 with nine kills, and Seariders were overpowering with 19 kills, including a backrow kill from Krug for a 24-20 lead. Clarke ripped set point.
Something changed in Game 3. The Vikings kept going on mini-runs, and the Seasiders started to play really tight. Waianae had 12 kills but nine unforced errors. Hilo was far more efficient with 12 kills and just six unforced errors.
Waianae’s serve-receive passing, once so solid, started to fall apart and surrendered three aces. Kealoha, who had three aces, had an ace during a 3-0 run for a 7-4 lead. Nevah Silva dropped an ace during a 3-0 run for a 10-5 lead.
Then Hilo libero Victoria-Irene Wassman had an ace during a 5-0 run for a 17-8 cushion. Kamalei Auwae, who had three kills, belted set point.
In Game 4, Kealoha and Gabriel each knocked down five kills, and the Vikings served four aces. Young and Delaynee Figueroa each served two aces.
Gabriel, who’s 5-9 and much shorter than the Seariders, drilled three straight kills for a 15-6 lead.
A Waianae service error gave Hilo a 23-16 lead, Young served an ace, and Kealoha knocked down set point to force Game 5.
In another first-round match, OIA runner-up Moanalua (13-1) swept conference rival Kaiser, advancing to face BIIF champion Kamehameha in a 5 p.m. Thursday quarterfinal atMoanalua in Honolulu.
