KAILUA-KONA — Konawaena rotated in its entire roster Wednesday evening in a straight set victory over west rival Kealakehe. The visiting Wildcats were never threatened as the Molina sisters, Cherilyn and Celena, showed a great chemistry on the court in a 25-15, 25-8, 25-18 win.
“We are sisters so every game we feel a connection,” Cherilyn Molina said, who played as outside hitter while her sister set the plays. “Overall we played well as a team. Our second string came in and we cheered them on and gave them confidence.”
Kealakehe (3-9) jumped out to an early lead in the first set, but Konawaena took over at 5-4 off the third straight long rally in a row, filled with blocked shots and tough digs. Mahiehie Kaawa put the point away with a kill from the left side.
At 9-7, the Wildcats (5-4) went on a roll, scoring nine points in a row. Eight of the points came while Anastasia Tuifua toed the service line. She picked up two aces during the run, forcing the Waveriders to call a timeout.
“Anastasia is a freshman and I always expected her to step up and play with the big girls,” said Konawaena head coach Ainsley Keawekane. “When she gets to the service line, she is actually one of our better players.”
McKayla Ventura played well in front of Tuifua. She showed great touch with a floater for a point in the middle of the court at 10-7 and later added a two-handed shot that traveled from left to right for nearly the entire length of the net before dropping just on the other side for an 18-7 advantage.
While the scoring margin increase, Kealakehe continued to battled, forcing several long rallies and picking up many blocks at the net. However, the team was hurt by unforced errors, with the ball sailing either into the net or out of bounds.
“We played hard, we just didn’t play clean,” said Kealakehe head coach Duke Hartfield. “We had some communication breakdowns, some ball control issues, but Konawaena forced a lot of that.
“We blocked well tonight, it was one of our better blocking nights,” Hartfield added. “I attribute that to Nicole (Cristobal) getting stronger and getting her game back.”
The Waveriders played better for the rest of the first set, but their troubles were not over.
Konawaena took a 3-0 lead in the second set after the Waveriders hit two straight into the net. Up 4-3, the Wildcats rolled off four straight points, led by Cherilyn Molina, who scored a point off a kill and a serve. At 8-4, the Wildcats put some distance between themselves and Kealakehe with an eight-point run. Kaawa picked up two aces and the Wildcats began subbing constantly through the remainder of the match.
Going up 4-0 in the third set behind a pair of aces from Ventura, the Wildcats roared to a 22-11 advantage.
Near the end of the third set, Konawaena seemed to lose focus, and Kealakehe showed heart with a six point run. Liana Lawson scored several times from the service line as the Wildcats watched the ball land just in front of the backline.
The Waveriders cut the deficit to six points but the lead was too much to overcome. Konawaena got back on track and Leisha Sesson’s serve ended the match.
“I think Kealakehe came out a little nervous,” said Konawaena head coach Ainsley Keawekane. “A lot of these girls play club ball together and I was happy with how we came out and played.”
For Keawekane, the most important aspect of the match was his ability to play his entire roster.
“The girls in the starting lineup play club and get their reps throughout the year, but we also have the seasonal players and they are behind,” Keawekane said. “During practice we work with them on the mental aspect of the game so it is good for them to be able to get in and play against competition so they can work on what we have been teaching them.”