In a BIIF Division II boys volleyball season otherwise marked by balance and five-setters, Konawaena has been the outlier.
Thanks to the powerful right hand of senior middle blocker Tevita Lavaka, the Wildcats have been immune to drama-filled matches.
“He’s our terminator,” coach August Dias said. “We set our middles every chance we get.”
With two regular season matches remaining, Konawaena (5-0) is closing on the outright regular season title and an automatic berth at the HHSAA tournament. A typical Wildcats match goes like Friday’s four-set victory at Honokaa did. Lavaka pounded 12 kills, Mana Dias-Elderts added seven and Exon Pimentero posted five aces.
Another key contributor is senior outside hitter Aiden Allred.
“He’s steady, stabilizes our passing and does all the little things that need to be done,” Dias said.
Konawaena finishes with home matches Friday against Hawaii Prep and Christian Liberty on April 20 and has yet to peak said Dias, who has used seven different lineups in his teams seven matches.
A pair of those contests were glorified scrimmages against Division I teams that each were pivotal in their own right, a three-set loss to Kamehameha and a confidence-boosting win against Hilo in which, Dias said, the Wildcats dominated after dropping the first two sets.
The Warriors “showed us who we are as a team and where we need to be,” Dias said.
The Vikings showed the Wildcats what most of the other D-II teams have been experiencing: roller-coaster five-setters.
The latest one was Friday at Pahoa, where Sam Landers slammed 28 kills with 18 digs to carry HPA to its second five-set win of the week, 25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-12.
Braeden Samura added eight kills for Ka Makani (3-2), which rallied to win two days after denying Kohala’s attempt at a reverse sweep, eking out a 25-12, 25-12, 19-25, 20-25, 15-10 victory at home.
For the Daggers (5-2), Kailen Kamakeeaina produced 16 kills and 14 digs and Rafael Medina posted eight kills and 13 digs. Pahoa claimed its first five matches before the Wildcats won a battle of unbeatens.
“Pahoa was really good in the first set,” Dias said. “There is a lot of parity and a lot of teams can make noise in the playoffs.”
Christian Liberty (4-1) and Ka’u (3-3) are included on that list.
Since losing to Pahoa, the Canefire have won four in a row. On Friday, they beat Kanu O Ka Aina in four sets, getting 14 kills from Judah Shrinski and 11 from Christian Lee. Lawson deLeon had 38 assists and Jerry Becker added 28 digs.
The Trojans’ best win was a sweep against HPA in which Tyson Junior Kuahuia-Faafia loomed large with double-digit kills, and they won in four sets Saturday at Kohala (1-4).
The Cowboys have been competitive but have had no luck in Game 5s, losing at Christian Liberty and Pahoa in addition to HPA. Kohala and Honokaa meet Friday in Kapaau, with the winner gaining the last spot in the six-team playoffs. The Dragons won their first match last week in five sets against Kanu O Ka Aina.
“Ka’u and Kohala have some real athletic kids,” Dias said. “With more experience they could be dangerous.”
Softball
Honokaa 17, Kohala 2: Krysta-Lyn Lewis finished a single short of the cycle Friday and hit a three-run inside-the-park home run, and Mahine Young went 4 for 4 as the Dragons (2-2) won at home.
Anela Cazimero hit a two-run inside-the-park homer and tripled for the Cowgirls (1-3).
Maile Espejo struck out seven in four innings for Honokaa.