Hawaii Prep volleyball coach Sharon Peterson tried for years get soccer and track star Kaui Taylor to play for her team, but her efforts as a recruiting ace went unrewarded, until this season.
Taylor, a 5-foot-7 senior, provides an athletic dimension, and another valuable addition is freshman setter/right-side hitter Laurie McGrath, who complements standout sophomore Madi Lee, a 6-foot versatile middle blocker.
Behind that powerful trio, the taller Ka Makani swept Pahoa 26-24, 25-21, 25-19 in the BIIF Division II semifinals on Thursday at Hilo High’s gym.
“I wanted Kaui for the last three years,” Peterson said. “I think she would be awesome if we had her earlier. But she came through at the end. She’s starting to learn the game, and she’s very athletic.”
In the other semifinal, defending BIIF champion Konawaena defeated Kohala 25-12, 25-13, 25-10.
For the third straight year, the Wildcats (18-0) and Ka Makani (9-9) will play for the BIIF title at 6 p.m. Saturday.
In the third-place game, the Daggers (7-11) will battle the Cowgirls (1-17) at 4:30 p.m. for the league’s last berth to the HHSAA state tournament.
Lee blasted 19 kills while Taylor added 11 and senior outside hitter Haley Dow had five kills for HPA, which despite its height only outblocked Pahoa, 4-1.
That’s because the Daggers dug almost everything, scrambled and countered with a ton of seam shots.
“We played up and down,” Peterson said. “We’d have a good play, then stall. We have to learn to play one play at a time, then keep going. We made it hard on ourselves. That other team scrambled and were good at keeping the ball in play.”
McGrath had just one kill, but she’s about 5-9 and offers a good block. Peterson sees promise in her freshman, and the impact Lee offers.
“She’s got potential. She’s got good hands,” Peterson said. “Madi has been a consistent hitter, and we wouldn’t be where we are without her blocking in the middle and her hitting.”
Pahoa junior outside hitter Tapenga Orevilla, about 5-6 on a good day, made a nice habit of drilling shots through HPA’s block for 14 kills. Faith Manuel Kamakeeaina added 11 kills, and Jordyn Tagalicod, another undersized hitter at 5-3, found the backline for nine kills.
In the first set, Lee led the charge with nine kills to help counter the better balance of Pahoa’s Orevilla (six kills), and Tagalicod (five kills) and Manuel-Kamakeeaina (five kills).
The Daggers had double the amount of unforced errors, 12-6, which gave the taller Ka Makani too many free and easy points. For the match, Pahoa had more giveaway points, 30-22.
Down 21-17 in the second set, Manuel-Kamakeeaina knocked down four kills to get Pahoa within 23-21. But Lee countered with a smashing kill, and the Daggers followed with a hitting error.
Lee had six kills in the set and was helped by Taylor (four kills), and Dow (two kills) and Gemma Palleschi (two kills).
In the third set, HPA rolled out to an 8-1 cushion and never looked back.
Peterson likes the improvement of her team, especially the willingness to play like the Daggers, who scramble for every point and make an opponent earn everything.
“We’re fighting for every point, and I’m starting to like that,” Peterson said. “And that helps a lot.”
