By BILL O’REAR
By BILL O’REAR
Tribune-Herald sports editor
It’s not often when a coach talks about potential that a player or team maxes out and goes above and beyond their goals and expectations.
Heading into the 2011-12 boys volleyball season, veteran Kamehameha coach Guy Enriques knew his young squad had ability and it would be how that talent blended with some seasoned players that would determine just how far the Warriors would rise.
Kamehameha showed flashes of brilliance during the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Blue Division season, beating rival Waiakea three times to win the D-I title. But the Warriors then raised their level of play and pushed perennial powerhouse Punahou to the brink before falling 23-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-11, 15-13 in the state D-I championship match at Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu.
“It was absolutely a fantastic year for us,” a proud Enriques said. “Every four years we set a goal and with this year, we’re ahead of schedule on what we want to do in the program.
“Going to the state tournament, we felt liked we were prepared and had a shot at winning. The coaches and players really believed in what we were trying to do and in the final game against Punahou, it came down to being 13-13 and it could have went either way. Give credit to Punahou and their coaching staff and players, but we truly believed we could do it and we almost did.”
The Warriors (18-1) were led by 6-foot-1 sophomore outside hitter Evan Enriques, and seniors Daniel Aina, a versatile 5-8 setter, Ryan Thomas, a 5-11 defensive specialist, and DJ Grant-Johnson, a 6-3 rightside hitter; and junior Kaipo Woolsey, a 6-0 middle blocker.
Guy Enriques pointed to “a beefed-up schedule, traveling to play top competition and some new training stuff” as keys to preparing Kamehameha for the state tournament.
“Traveling to play in a mainland tournament and tournaments on Oahu really helped us keep the competitive edge,” the Warriors coach said. “Plus, the BIIF’s Blue and Red division format really made a big difference because it made it more competitive in every match, not like in the past where we would be stuck with a lot of lopsided games.
“I hear the BIIF may go back to the old format of everyone playing everyone, but they should look at the Blue and Red divisions again because it really helped to better prepare all the BIIF teams for the state tournaments.”
Enriques said his team’s new training included both physical and mental exercises, and he praised assistant Isaac Vigila with the team’s improved mental focus through visualization.
“We tried some new things and they really worked,” Enriques said. “We also had everyone buy into the system. Everybody knew their roles and how each role was important. We had great team chemistry and a great bench that was always ready. When we had an injury in the state championship match, we had some guys come in who didn’t even warm-up before the match and they played really well.
“Our players learned how to stay calm under presure and they delivered. I think it all came back to the training, the beefed-up schedule and the competitiveness of our matches that prepared us to exceed our goal this season.”
To cap the Warriors’ impressive run through an undefeated regular season, Kamehameha placed three players on the All-BIIF’s Blue Division first team and two on the second team, including the Division Player of the Year in the high-flying Evan Enriques.
The division all-stars were determined by voting of the league coaches, under Keaau athletic director Iris McGuire, the BIIF volleyball coordinator.
Evan Enriques, ranked as one of the top sophomores in the country by USA Volleyball, led Kamehameha’s potent offense, hitting over and through double and triple blocks as the Warriors finished the BIIF season with a 16-0 record. But he was more than just a spike-cranker, he also played outstanding defense, was one of the state’s best servers and gave Kamehameha steady leadership despite his youthfulness.
“I’m really pleased with how Evan delivered and carried us most of the time,” coach Enriques said. “Everybody on the team understood what we were trying to do and they accepted it. We looked to set Evan a lot and our guys knew how to find him.
“In the state tournament, I thought Evan played fantastic. But the bottom line is — it was the rest of the team that was serving strong, digging and finding him on cue in the system. It was a major team contribution and it worked for us.”
The young Enriques agreed with his father, the Warriors head coach: “The mainland and off-island trips helped us communicate better and do all the little things well that make you a better team. Going into the states, all the coaches and the starters believed we could compete against anyone in the state if we played well.”
“The game plan was to set me and I just tried to do my job,” said Evan, who had the incredible 42 kills in 114 attempts in the grueling battle with Punahou.
“I felt good hitting the ball, but it all came down to everyone else doing their job, playing to the best of their abilities and as a team, we played close to the best we could. Overall, I think that as a team we exceeded our expectations and are proud of what we accomplished.”
Evan Enriques is joined on the Blue Division first team by Aina and Thomas as well as Waiakea’s Mamane Namahoe, Hawaii Prep’s Keanu Yamamoto and Kohala’s Donald Wong Jr. and Kulia Aveiro-Kalaniopio.
Aina, who will play for the University of Hawaii in 2012-13, was the glue that held the Warriors’ offense and defense together, and he had an explosive jump-serve that terrorized opponents. He twisted his ankle in Game 3 of the state final against Punahou and that injury hurt the Warriors’ chances of pulling off an upset.
Thomas was one of the state’s top defensive specialists, often grabbing the serve and making a pinpoint pass to Aina, who set Enriques or Grant-Johnson for momentum-shifting kills. He also had a productive serve that befuddled opponents and helped keep the pressure on them.
Namahoe, a 6-0 sophomore outside hitter, was one of the league’s most talented underclassmen and provided Waiakea coach Ecko Osorio with consistent hitting, blocking, defense and serving. His steady all-around play helped the public-school Warriors (13-3) challenge Kamehameha for the division title.
Yamamoto, a 5-8 senior outside hitter, was an athletic force for the Ka Makani (11-6). His strong all-around play provided coach Sharon Peterson with a spark as Yamamoto played well against much-taller opponents and helped his team claim the BIIF’s Division II crown.
Wong, a 6-2 senior outside hitter, was one of the state’s dominant hitters. But he also showcased his all-around skills on defense and at the service line as the Chai Wilson-coached Cowboys (12-5) finished BIIF D-II runner-up to earn a berth in the state tournament.
Aveiro-Kalaniopio, a 5-11 senior setter, anchored the Kohala offense with his soft sets and timely dinks. His steady passing to the hard-hitting Wong and 6-3 senior Christopher Roxburgh were a key to the team’s success as was his defensive hustle.
The Blue Division second team includes Kamehameha’s Grant-Johnson and Woolsey; Waiakea’s Donovan Hoohuli (6-0 middle hitter) and Ian Witten (6-4 senior middle blocker); Hilo’s Makoa Tandal (5-7 junior outside hitter); Kohala’s Roxburgh, and Hawaii Prep’s Jevin Ching (6-3 junior outside hitter).
Guy Enriques was named the Blue Division Coach of the Year after leading the talented Warriors to a perfect BIIF season. Besides Vigila, Enriques’ veteran assistants included Sam Thomas and Kyle and Jennifer Kaaa.
“Sam was great with the serve and receive,” Enriques said. “I really trust him in that area and it’s a really important area if you want to have a successful volleyball team. Kyle and Jennifer, our girls volleyball coaches, did so many of the little things behind the scenes that added to our team being successful. I couldn’t do it without all of that great help.”