Kamehameha coasts past Kealakehe

By BILL O’REAR

Tribune-Herald sports editor

KEAAU — Sophomore Evan Enriques crushed and dinked his way to a match-high 25 kills as Kamehameha overpowered Kealakehe 25-12, 25-13, 12-25, 25-18 on Saturday afternoon.

A small crowd watched the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Blue Division boys volleyball match at the Warriors’ gym.

Enriques, a multi-talented 6-foot-1 hitter, dominated the first two games as the Warriors (3-0) quickly went up 2-0. The sophomore had 19 kills and two service aces as Kamehameha used its strong hitting, blocking, defense and serving to befuddle the Waveriders (1-5).

Then in the third game, Warriors coach Guy Enriques sat his starters and played a unit of underclassmen. That shifted momentum to Kealakehe’s side and the Waveriders took advantage of their mismatches, racing to a 25-12 victory.

“I like to do that because it allows us to play our inexperienced guys and help them develop,” Enriques said. “We’ve got a senior-laden team this year, so we have to develop the younger guys. Even if we lose that third game, then we bring back in our No. 1 team and they’re faced with the pressure of having to win to finish off the match.”

In Game 4, the Warrior starters returned and struggled at first to regain their momentum.

“It’s not easy having to sit out and then get right back into it,” Enriques said. “But we’re just trying to have them stay strong mentally all the way through the match.”

Kealakehe, behind the play of juniors Taylor Dorr, Jason Kuwada and Deion Utrera and senior Jacob Ontiveros, grabbed an 8-6 lead in Game 4 on a Dorr kill, then fought the Warriors fairly even the rest of the way. But Evan Enriques started getting more help as versatile senior Daniel Aina and 6-3 senior DJ Grant-Johnson sparked the offense while senior libero Ryan Thomas led the hustling defense and provided a potent serve.

Aina’s fourth kill of the game gave Kamehameha a 21-13 lead with freshman Emmett Enriques, Evan’s younger brother, serving five straight points. Then after a service error, the hosts held off a late Waveriders’ rally to close out the match, 25-18.

Aina, a soft-handed setter, fueled the Kamehameha offense and added seven kills. Grant-Johnson had five kills and teamed with 6-4 senior Israel Trusdell, Aina and Evan Enriques to put up a tough block against Kealakehe’s multi-hitter attack.

Dorr, a 5-9 opposite side hitter, led the Waveriders with 13 kills and two aces. Ontiveros, a 6-1 outside hitter, followed with six kills while Kuwada, a 6-1 middle blocker, added five kills.

“We could have played a lot better today,” Guy Enriques said. “We’re looking for improvement in certain areas — 1. More consistency in our digging; 2. More accurate serving; and 3. Shot selection, with better reading of the angles and shots available.”

Evan Enriques, the coach’s oldest son on the team, has played volleyball almost since he could walk and has a variety of shots that can produce points for the Warriors. He showcased those skills for much of the afternoon against Kealakehe, but his father sees him only getting better, especially when playing against top competition.

The Kamehameha squad returned Thursday from an eight-day trip to Southern California where it competed in the 32-team Best of the West Volleyball Classic. The Warriors finished third in the Silver Division and 19th overall in the talented field.

“We played 11 matches in the tournament and it was like playing against one of this state’s top four teams in every match,” the Kamehameha coach said. “It was great competition and I thought we did pretty well. Evan had a great tournament and despite playing teams with big lineups, he was almost unstoppable hitting against those tall blocks.”

Following the tournament, the Warriors played six more matches before returning home.

“That was a great experience for our guys,” Guy Enriques said. “It gave us a chance to get better against top competition and see all the areas we need to improve in.”

The Warriors coach also praised Kealakehe’s solid effort on Saturday.

“They’re athletic and made us work,” he said. “But I really like playing in the Blue Division this year. Playing good teams in almost every match gets you ready for the BIIF tournament and the state tournament.”

Kealakehe coach August Dias called Kamehameha “a really good team,” but he also felt a lot of his team’s frustration came from its own play.

“We’re still searching for our identity,” he said. “We’re looking for someone on the floor to lead us and push us. When we communicate and play like we’re capable of playing, we’re tough. But right now no one is stepping up to be the leader and talk on the court.”

As Enriques watched Kealakehe walk out of the gym, the veteran coach and his players turned their attention to unbeaten Waiakea (6-0). The two BIIF powerhouses battle on Monday night at Waiakea. The junior-varsity match starts at 6 p.m., with the varsity to follow about 7:15.

“It should be a barnburner,” Enriques said. “I expect a really good match from two really solid teams.”

The rival public-school Warriors, including head coach Ecko Osorio, scouted Saturday’s match at Kamehameha and left after the hosts swept the first two games. Monday night’s winner will sit alone atop the Blue Division standings as the only undefeated team. Christian Liberty (4-0) is unbeaten in the Red Division.

In JV action Saturday, Kamehameha defeated Kealakehe 25-22, 25-16.