In a game that stretched out for over two and a half hours and took five full sets to complete, the Kealakehe girls volleyball team upset Konawaena in Kealakekua Tuesday evening.
The match was a battle from start to finish as each team clawed out points in hopes of gaining a slim advantage. The Waveriders never led in a set throughout the entire match until the final victory point, clinching a 20-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-17, 15-11 win.
“This was a big win for the school, a big win for this team and a big win for the program,” said Kealakehe head coach Kahinu Lee. “It was a nice win and a hard fought match.”
In the short time after the victory, it was hard for anyone from Kealakehe to pinpoint exactly when the Waveriders last beat Konawaena in a girls varsity match. The only answer anyone could come up with is about eight years. But no one new for certain.
The match was a defensive battle, with both teams pulling out insanely difficult digs against hard hitters such as Konawaena’s Cherilyn Molina and Kealakehe’s Anastasia Tuifua.
For Lee, he credits on-court communication for the win.
“We played with heart and fought all the way through,” Lee added. “It was a great back-and-forth. Both teams had some hammers and there were some great momentum swings. That is what you want to see in a great match like this.”
Konawaena took the advantage in the first set despite falling behind early. A points swing with the Wildcats down 13-14 turned into a 17-14 advantage thanks to a couple of unforced errors and a pair of back-to-back kills by Molina. The points were crucial for the Wildcat co-captain, who had been blocked on two attempts over the previous three points before the small run.
The Waveriders attempted to reclaim the lead but would get no closer than 19-18 before Konawaena’s other co-captain, McKayla Ventura managed to give her team some breathing room.
In the second set, tied at 5-5, Kealakehe managed to go up three points off three straight kills, two of which came from Hopo’e Napoleon-Martins. Another run mid-set, led by a pair of kills from Tuifua put the Waveriders up by six.
Kealakehe never let up the lead in the second set, tying the match at 1-1.
The service game of Konawaena came up big in the third set, led by Anaselita Taetuna. Up 4-3, Taetuna toed the line and hit three straight shots that the Waveriders could not return.
The Wildcats took a 13-6 advantage at mid-set before Kealakehe battled back to within one point behind their own service game, with Aaliyah Aukai-Takata picking up a pair of aces.
At 18-17, Konawaena managed to get a little breathing room. A crucial point came at 22-18 when a long rally saw many spectacular plays before the Wildcats managed to put the point away with a Maile Grace kill.
Another long rally came two points later with Konawaena’s Molina making a tough save, followed by another kill from Grace.
Facing elimination in the fourth set, Kealakehe put together its best game. Up 18-17, the Waveriders rolled off seven straight points to close out the set.
Napoleon-Martins caught fire during the run, posting two kills and a block. Tuifua served the set out, proving that she can handle herself away from the net as well.
In the fifth and deciding set, the Wildcats managed to take a 3-0 lead with Taetuna once again serving. She picked up another ace before Tuifua finally stopped the run with a kill up the middle.
The Waveriders then managed a four-point swing to take the lead. Tuifua had three kills and Wynter Ah Mow picked up an ace.
Both teams continued to battle as the set moved on. Tied at 9-9, Kealakehe found an advantage with two kills each by Tuifua and Napoleon-Martins.
A long rally ended a five-point run with Napoleon-Martins, Lualani Louis and Liana Lawson all making big saves.
The Waveriders managed to pick up two late points but they could not overcome the deficit as Tuifua fittingly put the match away with a kill.
“Anastasia is a special player” Lee said afterward. “And only being a sophomore there is more to come with her.”