With four BIIF runner-up finishes in Division II boys soccer from 2010 to 2014, Christian Liberty is not thought of as a volleyball school.
With four BIIF runner-up finishes in Division II boys soccer from 2010 to 2014, Christian Liberty is not thought of as a volleyball school.
But, Gary Oertel points out, the Canefire’s first team and first big victories came on the volleyball court, and if he has his way the latest success story will as well.
Telly Koon posted eight kills Tuesday night and Christian Liberty won key points late thanks to Mary Pratt and Jade Arellano to outlast St. Joseph 25-18, 18-25, 25-17 in a Blue division match at the Cardinals’ gym pitting two teams that played as one last season.
“It’s been good for us, getting some wins,” said Oertel, who’s team finished 5-2 during the first round of home-and-home play in the small-school division. “We have beaten five teams, which we would have played anyway. For us, this is already a good season.
“We’ll see them all again. We just have to keep improving.”
Christian Liberty entered BIIF athletics in the late 1990s in girls volleyball and its boys team beat Hilo High one season and reached the playoffs before the advent of Division II.
Lately, boys soccer has taken most of the spotlight.
“We’ve had success in volleyball, too,” said Oertel, who’s also the school’s athletic director.
The two previous seasons, St. Joseph and Christian Liberty combined to compete as East-Pac, with Oertel assisting Tim Waugh, who now coaches the Cardinals.
“I got most of the younger players, they took most of the tall ones,” Waugh said.
This season, Oertel said, 15 of the 25 girls at the Christian Liberty are playing volleyball, allowing the Canefire to field a junior varsity team.
“And I’m trying to get a few more out,” he said.”Every girl is basically playing and it’s great experience.”
The only player with club volleyball experience between the schools is Cardinals freshman Emma Faumuina, and she looked the part, finishing with 10 kills and three aces for St. Joseph (2-5).
The Cardinals’ Striesand Galdones added four aces as Christian Liberty struggled mightily in serve-receive.
“It’s an uphill battle,” Waugh said. “We teach them what we can teach them.
“The inexperience transfers to being nervous and they don’t want to make mistakes and let it fall.”
That wasn’t a problem for Arrelano, who sliced two kills in the corner late in the match to give the Canefire match point. Earlier in the set, Pratt posted three aces as Christian Liberty pulled away from a 13-13 tie.
Pratt finished with 16 digs, and Angela Reinking compiled 17 assists.
“Starting from scratch, but fielding a girls team gets the excitement back in the student body,” Waugh said. “Now the boys want to have a team.”