There was a rebuilding year, a breakthrough year and last season’s BIIF championship.
At some point in the process everything starts to flow naturally and the parts start to work by themselves. With seven seniors in tow and a strong freshman turnout, Ashley Hanohano’s Waiakea girls volleyball program could be at that juncture.
Entering her fourth season, Hanohano’s workload is lesser this preseason, even if ever so slightly.
“What the seniors bring is experience and teamwork,” Hanohano said. “They’ve definitely pushed teamwork and in practices they are constantly encouraging the upcoming players. They are actually the teachers of the team this year.”
The Warriors lost four impactful players off last year’s title winner, including three who are going to play in college, but Hanohano gets a confused look on her face when she’s asked if she expects Waiakea to take a step back.
This is a big year, she said, and as well as a bittersweet to coach many of the players who have been with her since the start for a final time.
“I want to play for my fellow teammates,” senior setter Taniah Ayap said. “They make me want to win, and I want to win for them, too
“I want to leave something behind. A legacy for our program.”
Waiakea finally became the program in Division I last season by dethroningsix-time defending BIIF champ Kamehameha.
As is the case with Ayab, Hanohano says each senior brings something to the table.
Kakano Maikui carries a high volleyball IQ at outsider hitter, and Cassie Emnase brings strength to the right side. Both were second-team all-BIIF last season along with Ayap. Kryssie Okinaka also will get her fair share of swings, Haart Chung and Heavyn Chung are returning to the team and Hanohano calls Chelsea Guillermo one of the Warriors’ best all-around players.
“We basically grew up playing together,” Ayap said. “We know each others strengths and weaknesses. We don’t need to worry about what each other is doing, we just worry about our part.”
As much as Hanohano and assistant coach Rachelle Hanohano love their seniors, it’s a junior, libero Jordyn Hayashi, who brings perhaps the biggest smile to their faces.
“She’s is a godsend,” Ashley Hanohano said. “Phenomenal.”
“She’s the whole package,” Rachelle Hanohano said.
In addition to Hayashi and Ayap, another strong another key cog in Waiakea’s defense-first philosophy is sophomore Makena Hanle.
If their is a position group that needs to step up and vie for increased playing time, it’s the middle blockers. Ashley Hanohano likes her options with juniors Melina Devela, the team’s tallest players at 6 feet, 1 inch, and Jazymne Alston and sophomore Chazlen Kaili.
“I’ve never really worked with them, so its going to be different,” Ayap said. “It’s going to be a new experience, but I’m excited.”
She’s one of the players in practice who tries to be strong role model for the nine freshmen on the junior varsity program.
Beyond a BIIF repeat, it’s a chance to leave a legacy
“The great thing,’ Rachelle Hanohano said, “is that the JV program is going to build to keep the program at a high level.”
Preseason tourney
When the Hanohanos took over at Waiakea they started a preseason tournament at the school gym, and the fourth annual Waiakea Warriors Invitational Volleyball Tournament runs Thursday through Saturday. For the first time, the tourney features two Oahu teams, St. Francis from the ILH, and McKinley from the OIA.
Besides Waiakea, the BIIF teams are Kamehameha, Hilo, Kealakehe, Hawaii Prep, Pahoa, St. Joseph and Honokaa.
Pool play starts at 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and matches in the gold and silver bracket will start at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Format changes
The BIIF scrapped the best-of-three format it used for matches last season in favor of a return to a best-of-five that was used prior to 2015.
Also, the league is as patriotic as ever with three divisions: Red (Konawaena, Kealakehe, Kamehameha, Keaau, Hilo, Waiakea), White (Hawaii Prep, Kohala, Honokaa, Ka’u, Pahoa, Laupahoehoe) and Blue (Christian Liberty, Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino, Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science, Makua Lani, Parker, St. Joseph).
In the Red and Blue, teams will play two divisional games and once against teams from the White. White teams play everybody else once ahead of the Division I and II playoffs.
The league starts play with four matches Aug. 16.
