This year’s boys volleyball All-BIIF DI and DII Player of the Year Awards went to two of the Isle’s most standout team leaders.
The DII Player of the Year — Ka‘u High School junior Tyson Junior Kauhuia-Faafia — put up numbers that might make you rub your eyes to make sure you read them right.
Kauhuia-Faafia led the small but mighty Trojans, averaging nearly 17 kills, four blocks and two aces per game.
“He’s a well-rounded player,” said Ka‘u head coach Joshua Ortega. “He can pass the ball, he can set the ball, he can kill the ball — he can basically do it all.”
With Kauhuia-Faafia on the front line, his underdog team made it to the BIIF quarterfinals, where it fell 3-1 to Kohala High School — but Kauhuia-Faafia went out with a bang, notching 19 kills, four blocks and three aces.
Kauhuia-Faafia’s prowess and leadership helped his team of just eight players close out the season with an 8-4 record.
“He plays a leadership role,” Ortega said. “He’s a team captain. Definitely a leader, always showing kids how to do stuff. He leads the pack.
“He’s mister goofball of course, but when it comes time, he can turn it off and provide for the team.”
Kauhuia-Faafia has been playing club volleyball in Hilo since his childhood, and aspires to take his skills to the next level. Ortega said that Kauhuia-Faafia is traveling soon to Utah to try to get recruited.
The DII Coach of the Year award went to Pahoa High School’s Kahea Rodrigues.
Rodrigues led the Daggers through a historic season, which saw them go 13-0 during the regular season and come within inches of winning the BIIF title — falling in the fifth set of the championship to Konawaena High School.
Pahoa had three First Team placements — Kailen Kamakeeaina, Hunter Paio and Uasi Tokelau, and three Second Team placements — Noah Kaawaloa, Christopher-Jay Alidon-Kaawaloa and Kristopher Lehano-Stone.
Kamehameha Schools – Hawai‘i senior Mica Wana won DI Player of the Year. His coach, Sam Thomas, won DI Coach of the Year.
“I’m really happy for Mica,” Thomas said. “He worked so hard. It’s interesting, because we used to do a summer volleyball camp — and I first saw Mica, I think he was in seventh grade and never played volleyball before. Just to see him from that point to where he ended up this season, nothing but praise for him.
“(Wana) was always the first player in the gym, setting up the nets. That’s why his award is even moreso deserved.”
In the State Quarterfinal game against Mililani High School, Wana was all over the court — recording a season high 26 kills and nine digs.
“We always tried to get Mica to be more aggressive,” Thomas said, “to take more swings, to ask for more sets. I think by the time we got to the BIIFs, especially the BIIF championship game against Hilo and the state tournament, he was doing what we asked.
“He always had an ability. He’s not a super big guy. He sure really played a lot taller, and he was a great defender.”
The Warriors went 13-1 in BIIF play, winning the BIIF championship before falling to Moanalua High School in the State third-place consolation game.
“Regarding Coach of the Year,” Thomas said, “it’s a tribute to all of my players and my staff — as they are primarily responsible for my team’s success.”
KSH accounted for half of the BIIF DI First Team, with senior Nauhi Liwis and sophomore Kullen Pua earning placements alongside Wana.
“Nauhi is also not a very tall kid,” Thomas said, “but he can hit the ball so hard. Even when he only got five to seven kills a game, the fact that he hit the ball so hard made the other team spend more time defending against him — which also allowed our big hitters to get more one-on-one sets on the outside.”
Pua led the Warriors with 89 kills on the season.
“Kullen’s got the height,” Thomas said, “6’4, just a sophomore, still growing into his body. Kullen’s gonna be a force to be reckoned with for the next few years. For sure gonna be a DI scholarship somewhere.”
DI All-BIIF First Team
Nauhi Liwis, Kamehameha-HI
Claymon Morante, Waiakea
Kullen Pua, Kamehameha-HI
Maluhia Tandal, Hilo
Kekona Ulu, Kealakehe
Micah Wana, Kamehameha-HI
DII All-BIIF First Team
Danilo Dapiaoen, Konawaena
Kailen Kamakeeaina, Pahoa
Tyson Junior Kauhuia-Faafia, Ka‘u
Sam Landers, Hawaii Prep
Hunter Paio, Pahoa
Fabian Ruiz, Konawaena
Judah Shrinski, Christian Liberty
Uasi Tokelau, Pahoa
DII All-BIIF Second Team
Mana Dias, Konawaena
Malachi Duque, Kohala
Noah Kaawaloa, Pahoa
ChristopherJayAlidon-Kaawaloa, Pahoa
Landen Kauka, Kohala
Christian Lee, Christian Liberty
Kristopher Lehano-Stone, Pahoa
DII Honorable Mentions
CHRISTIAN LIBERTY: Lawson DeLeon, Caleb Vogt
HAWAII PREP: Kena Craven, Michael House, Nino Pelzmann, Michael Petras
HONOKAA: Makani Miranda, Elijay Roque-Singrah, Jr Sakai
KA UMEKE: Lamaku Carriaga-Roberts, Masau Lee, Manaiakalani Paige, Hoomalu Phillips
KAU: Adahdiyah Ellis-Reyes, Jheyden Haili, Kayson Pagan, Patrick Riehle, CyZeiah Silva-Kamei
KOHALA: Jayden Hook, Layden Kauka
KONAWAENA: Nehemiah Kaai, Alex Martinez, Rheneer Romana
PAHOA: Christian Funes
PARKER: Toby Gordon, Lincoln Green