PAHALA — It was easy for Honokaa’s Kawaika Aurello to trace some of the ups and downs that the Dragons boys volleyball team went through Saturday against Ka‘u.
“The second set we won because we were communicating so much,” Aurello said. “The fourth set came along and we just stopped talking and that’s why we lost that set.”
Aurello and his teammates weren’t as quiet in the fifth set. They made plenty of noise in earning what their coach called their best victory of the season.
Aurello and Wayne Vaoga combined for 34 kills, and they led a decisive spurt as Honokaa fought off Ka‘u 23-25, 25-13, 25-19, 22-25, 15-10 in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II match.
In avenging their only loss of the season, the Dragons (10-1) moved ahead of the Trojans (10-2) to the top of the Red Division standings.
“This is the first time I’ve seen us play this well,” Honokaa coach Steven Kalilikane said. “This is a tough team, Ka‘u. Everybody passed well. That’s how we end up (with a victory).”
Aurello, a senior outside hitter, posted a team-high 18 kills, but only one came as Honokaa dropped Game 4. After the Trojans tied the fifth game 6-6, however, Aurello said, “Something clicked. Our passes starting getting good, everybody started swinging. Our coach told us if we started swinging we were going to win, so that’s what we did.”
He pounded home three consecutive points to give his team the lead for good, and sparked by Vaoga’s serve, Honokaa reeled off seven consecutive points to seal the match.
Ka‘u lost despite 21 kills by junior Donald Garo Jr., including six in the fourth game as the Trojans pulled away from a 21-21 tie. Sophomore Franklin Orcino posted 11 kills, and Holden Galigo, Ka‘u’s only senior, added five.
“(Donald’s) been carrying us the whole year,” first-year coach Joshua Ortega said. “Honokaa came to play. We played our game, but we have a young team, and there are a few things that hopefully through the season we would have learned.”
