Tribune-Herald
Tribune-Herald
The tradition-rich Haili Men’s Volleyball Tournament will begin today and run through Saturday at various gyms in the Hilo area.
The championship matches in the older divisions will be played Saturday at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Sisters Lyndell Lindsey and Sweetie Osorio are directing the popular tournament again, with volunteer help from many officials, family, friends and other individuals from the community.
A total of 136 teams — 54 in the Junior Division and 81 in the Adult Division — have entered this week’s tournament. The Big Island will have 39 adult teams and 46 junior teams competing this year. This contrasts from just a few years ago when the majority of the teams came from Oahu, a Haili spokesperson said.
This year there are 36 adult teams and eight juniors teams from Oahu. Maui has three adult teams and one junior squad while three Kauai adult teams will participate.
“In contrast to prior years, there are no teams from outside Hawaii in the tournament this year,” the spokesperson said. “Another difference from prior years will be the absence of games at the UH-Hilo Gym.”
The university is closed down for Spring break and the campus not open to the public.
The Men Masters division, which had been absent the past couple of years, will be back this time around.
Tournament games will be played today through Wednesday in the Junior Division, starting at 3:30 p.m. on two courts at Waiakea High Gym and at 4:20 p.m. on two courts at Hilo Civic, two courts at Hilo Armory, and two courts at Kawananakoa Center.
On Tuesday, Junior Division games will continue from 1 p.m. at all courts except Hilo Armory, which starts at 4:20 p.m.
On Wednesday, a school day, the championship matches in each age group (Girls 12, 14, 16, and 18, Coed 10s, Boys 10s and 12) will be played at Hilo Civic from 3 to 7 p.m.
The adult teams start playing at 11 a.m. before the Junior championships, with Men B at the Civic and Hilo Armory and Men B at Kawananakoa starting at 3:20 p.m. Women B will start at Waiakea from 5:50 p.m.
On Thursday, games at the Civic will start at 10 a.m. with Hilo Armory following at 10:50 a.m. Kawananakoa will commence at 3:50 p.m. and Waiakea at 5:30 p.m.
On Friday, games at the Civic and Kawananakoa will begin at 9 a.m., followed by Hilo Armory at 9:50 a.m. and Waiakea at 10:40 a.m.
All championship matches will be played Saturday at Hilo Civic, from 9 a.m. with no games slated at the other sites.
There will be food concessions at each site and T-shirts will be sold at the Civic.