KEAAU — If a spectator had walked into Koaia Gym to watch Kamehameha for the first time Saturday, he might never have known the Warriors were missing their go-to hitter.
Sure, senior Maraea O’Connor took over the role unassumingly, but she did it with authority.
With star Kaiulani Ahuna cheering on the team from the bench, O’Connor looked like a No. 1 option, hammering 13 kills to fuel Kamehameha to a 25-17, 25-19, 25-23 victory against Kealakehe in Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I girls volleyball.
“I just tried to do my part and have faith in my teammates that they were going to do their part,” O’Connor said.
Coach Sam Thomas said Ahuna, the reigning BIIF D-I Player of the Year, was taking a few days off with a neck pointer. The Warriors (2-0) also were playing without Zoe Leonard, an all-BIIF first-teamer from a year ago who is nursing an ankle injury.
But with junior setter Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker distributing the ball, four-time defending champion Kamehameha hardly missed a beat. The Warriors got solid contributions from middle blockers Pua Wong (eight kills) and freshman Makenzie Kalawaia (six).
“The whole idea for this season was not to be Kaiu-centric, but to move the ball around,” Thomas said. “It’s good, we’ve been working on it and it paid off today.”
He said O’Connor wasn’t meant to be the focus entering the match, it just ended up that way. She didn’t change positions, remaining at rightside hitter, but she did alter her mindset, concentrating on hitting more the blocking, which comes more naturally to her.
She helped the Warriors overcome a sluggish start in the first set, and O’Connor and senior libero Harley Woolsey played big roles during a set-changing run in the second game. Trailing 14-12 after a sideout, the Warriors reeled off eight straight points on Woolsey’s serve, getting three O’Connor kills and two Woolsey aces during the run.
Woolsey finished with 16 digs and four aces, and freshman Keani Akui dug six balls.
“The middles came on strong and the freshmen did really well and I’m really proud of them,” O’Connor said. “We learned that even though we were without one of our biggest links, we know how to play with each other.”
Kealakehe’s Nika Paogofie-Buyten found her range after a shaky first set and tallied 13 kills.
If ever the Waveriders (2-1) were going to beat the Warriors, Kealakehe coach Duke Hartfield said this was the day to do it. As it was, he was left to marvel at Kamehameha’s depth.
“We had a great opportunity,” Hartfield said. “The girls played well. They’re inconsistent. The opportunities came, we just couldn’t take advantage of it.”
Junior outside hitter Rashai Kailiwai added eight kills and senior middle Kealia Wolfe posted five.
In junior varsity, Kamehameha won 25-12, and 25-6.