Waiakea coasts past Keaau in sweep

By KEVIN JAKAHI

Tribune-Herald sports writer

First-year Keaau coach Stahl Allen knows the feeling of playing against giants — someone taller and more talented. After all, he’s the youngest brother of Allen Allen, a three-time All-American at Hawaii and former member of the USA national volleyball team.

So he took it in stride when Waiakea won by a wide margin, 25-11, 25-21, 25-8, over his Cougars in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I volleyball match on Thursday at the Warriors Gym.

The Warriors (3-0) looked finely tuned in remaining undefeated after earlier wins over Hawaii Prep and Pahoa. The team’s three standouts, senior middles Donovan Hoohuli and Ian Witten and sophomore outside hitter Mamane Namahoe, all had the same spring in their steps that earned them All-BIIF honors last season. Hoohuli landed on the first team while Witten and Namahoe made the second team.

The Cougars (0-4), with losses to Kealakehe, Kamehameha and Pahoa, are perennial underdogs because most of the players are inexperienced even if they are returning starters, including seniors Viliami Fahiua and Joseph Ola, and juniors Matthew Shimabukuro, Nick Pagtama and Junior Ola.

Only the Ola brothers play club ball, for All Attitude, coached by Ivan Tandal, the father of Hilo brothers Makana and Makoa Tandal. Allen plays for All Attitude, too, which caters to youth and adults and will compete in the Haili tournament later this month.

“Our team is our family,” said Allen, who works at Keaukaha elementary. “Our goal is to win as many games as we can. No matter what, we always try our best and never give up. We tell the boys, ‘We always can do.’ We’re playing in a harder division against a lot of experienced teams.

“Ivan is a good coach and motivates and gives good feedback to the boys. Our philosophy is we give the players the tools and always tell them, ‘Can do.’ We’re trying to teach life lessons and hopefully they carry that on, continuing the sport and one day teaching it to their kids.”

There’s no doubt when Allen plays at the Haili he’ll get asked if he’s related to Allen Allen, the oldest of 10 children, and now an assistant coach with the Gonzaga women’s volleyball team.

“I was a fan of my brother, watching games at Klum Gym,” he said. “He was like my idol. He was a father figure to us, especially to me, after our father died in 1988.

“The coaching advice he gave me was to stick to basics. That’s the key. And he told me, whatever happens, go with the flow.”

It’s Samoan custom to give the first born son the family’s last name as a first name. Stahl’s first name isn’t Samoan. It’s German. The family is Samoan, Chinese and German. But Stahl was named after a doctor.

His two brothers, Allen and Masui, played at Hawaii. They and their seven sisters were all born in Samoa and are fluent in the language. Stahl, who speaks limited Samoan, was born on Oahu and the family physician delivered him, a doctor named Glenn Stahl.

“I still see him around on Oahu,” Stahl said. “My mom (Faliu) named me after him. We’re always joking, ‘Hi dad.’ And, ‘Hello, son.’ My mom is old school. She’s about culture and being humble and having respect. She’s still going strong at 65 years old.”

Tandal’s wife, Keala, and Stahl, a 1996 Castle graduate, used to run into each other on the volleyball court in their glory days. Her brother, Hanalei Baker, is Stahl’s best friend. Stahl’s connections also run to the Vikings. His cousin is Sale Falealo-Timu, a junior middle blocker.

Volleyball was the glue that held the Allen family together. All 10 siblings played the sport. But unlike Allen and Masui, Stahl didn’t pursue the sport in college.

“I love all my siblings but it was hard living in that shadow,” he said. “I wanted to be myself and not live in that shadow.

“When people ask me if I’m related to Allen Allen or Masui Allen, I pause and don’t answer. After that, I tell them that I am. I’m proud to be an Allen.”