Kamehameha longtime starters Kaiulani Ahuna, Zoe Leonard and Harley Woolsey grew up together on the volleyball court, and the end of an era is near — not only for them but five other seniors as well.
The trio started as freshmen, and form the core of a talent-packed Warrior team that has captured the last four Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I titles.
Ahuna, Leonard and Woolsey landed on the All-BIIF first team last season. Ahuna was the league’s player of the year. Pua Wong, a senior middle blocker, and Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker, a junior setter, received honorable mention.
The only starter lost to graduation was libero Kayla Flores. Everyone else is back, as well as a healthy supply of talent, experience and team chemistry.
Even better, during the summer, Ahuna and Leonard, at libero, were on the USA women’s junior A1 training team that finished fourth in the international division at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships in Tulsa, Okla.
Makekau-Whittaker was on the USA Volleyball girls youth A1 team that also participated at the tournament, which is designed to sharpen the nation’s best young talent.
There’s no shortage of experience in the rest of Kamehameha’s starting lineup.
Ilian Nakamoto and Jeyci Kalili, a pair of seasoned seniors, will share time with Wong at middle blocker. Maraea O’Connor, another senior, will start at opposite or the right-side post that defends against the other team’s left-side No. 1 hitter. It helps that O’Connor, like Makekau-Whittaker, is over 6 feet tall.
While the Warriors have been the league’s proverbial big fish in a small pond, they’ve struggled at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I tournament.
Last season, they faced eventual state runner-up Punahou of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu in the quarterfinals and were swept.
The Warriors led the Buffanblu 21-14 in the second set. Then Punahou rallied to win 25-22, and Kamehameha never recovered.
“Punahou played their best all the time,” said the 5-foot, 10-inch Leonard, who’s weighing Division I offers from several colleges including UNLV and Oregon State. “To play your best all the time is about the mental game. A lot of it is how you prepare, physically and mentally. The key to our success as a team is our drive.”
Sam Thomas, a longtime assistant to Kamehameha boys coach Guy Enriques, takes over for Kyle Kaaa, who left the cupboard filled to the brim with firepower.
Thomas’ plan is to throw a few more curveballs against the Goliaths at states. To do that, he might have to sacrifice offense for better ball-control.
Leonard is the top-ranked libero in the state. No one else from Hawaii, at libero, was invited to the A1 nationals. She has a soft touch, whether in taking serve-receive, defending an attack or setting in a scramble play. Her height is helpful on the block, too.
Woolsey could see time at libero; she’s on Carla Carpenter-Kabalis’ HI Intensity club team and is a fundamentally sound ball-handler. Though shorter at 5-5, she’s an emotional spark plug at outside hitter. Her energy matches her hard swing.
Figuring out Kamehameha’s best lineup, a fun puzzle for Thomas, will top the totem pole of things to accomplish before states.
“We want to spread the offense, run faster plays,” Thomas said. “We’re tall for the Big Island, but we’re slightly average on Oahu. We have to be quicker and that’s what we’re working on.”
Thomas can count on Ahuna, who knocked down a match-high 13 kills against Punahou at states last year, and for long stretches looked like the best player on the court, despite four Buffanblu with college scholarships; none were on the A1 nationals.
“We want to start strong and finish strong,” Ahuna said. “Everyone on our team has improved so much over the years. Our strength is that we’re all good friends, and have played together so long, since we could walk.”
Kamehameha is a heavy favorite to win a fifth consecutive title at the BIIF Division I championships, which will conclude Oct. 25 at Konawaena’s Ellison Onizuka Gym. Then the Division I state tournament has its regional sites Oct. 31-Nov. 1, and the semifinals and championships Nov. 7-8 at Blaisdell Arena.
It’s a long journey, but the days are counting down for Kamehameha’s best class of seniors with one exceptional junior (a school-first three A1 national players).
Woolsey has been there from the ground floor, starting as a freshman and watching the growth of her senior class, especially Ahuna and Leonard.
“We’re old with all the seniors,” Woolsey said. “Kaiu increased her vertical and her going to the USA High Performance helped her confidence and raised her volleyball IQ.
“We’ve been up and down at states, like a roller coaster. We just want to stay on the top of the mountain, and play our best.”
