Waiakea’s circumstances called for agitation. The Warriors had just shot themselves in the foot and trailed late in the fifth set with Hilo’s cheering section raising a raucous directly behind their bench.
But when Waiakea coach Ashley Hanohano looked to her left after a sideout, soothing was the sight of Jordyn Hayashi with the ball in her hands ready to serve.
There were bigger hitters and higher jumpers Saturday but no more able body than Hayashi, and given a second chance the junior libero delivered the goods, serving out an epic 25-23, 18-25, 23-25, 25-9, 15-13 BIIF volleyball victory for Waiakea at their rival’s gym.
“With Jordyn, miracles happen,” Hanohano said.
Or nightmares, depending on the perspective.
“Jordyn is awesome,” Vikings coach Drew Fernandez said. “She just does a hell of a job for them.”
Round 2 – Waiakea (12-1) also beat Hilo (9-2) in five sets on Aug. 25, winning 16-14 in Game 5 – was a fitting ending to Showdown Week in Division I.
The match had all the intensity and emotion of a BIIF championship contest, and it may well have been a title game preview – Round 3, anyone? – though Kamehameha will have something to say about that. Kamehameha (11-2) lost to Konawaena on Saturday, leaving Waiakea all alone in first place.
Hanohano credited a new attitude and lineup with helping the Warriors rebound from their first loss Thursday at Kamehameha.
“I think (the sweep) was needed,” she said. “My team needed a reality check.”
That new look almost cost the Warriors the match. Hayashi’s ace would have to drawn Waiakea within 12-11 in Game 5, but the Warriors were called for an illegal lineup, putting the Vikings in front by three points.
“OMG,” Hayashi recalled thinking. “I just wanted to touch the ball again.”
She did after Lindsey Maikui’s kill cut Waiakea’s deficit to 13-11.
“I said I’m going to ace you and I’m going to finish you off,” Hayashi said.
Waiakea did just that on Hayashi’s ace, a block and a kill by Melina DeVela and Kryssie Okinaka’s kill.
Maikui led the way with 16 kills, Okinaka added 13, Cassie Emnase had nine and DeVela posted seven kills and six blocks. Hayashi compiled five aces and it was no coincidence that Waiakea often went on spurts when she served.
“I know if Jordyn is on the back row, we’re fine,” Hanohano said.
Hilo appeared to take control in a back-and-forth third set as Kawai Ua pounded five of her match-high 18 kills and Lexi Paglinawan chipped in with four of her 14.
Waiakea dropped the first three points of the Game 4 and then dominated the rest of the set.
“We just focused on ourselves and let them make the mistakes,” said Hayashi, who sat after the match with her right leg propped up and her knee wrapped in ice.
The Vikings committed a gaffe of their own in the fifth set when a playable ball fell to the floor between four players.
Laurie McGrath had five kills and six blocks for Hilo, Taina Leao chipped in with six kills and Leialii Makekau-Whitaker provided a late spark with five kills.
All of Hilo’s hitting totals could have been higher, Fernandez said, if not for the hard work of Hayashi.
“Their defense was a little better than us,” he said. “Our hitters were hitting the ball, but Jordyn just digs them out.
“We need defense before offense.”
First, he needs a rest. This was Hilo’s third fifth-set match in eight days, though the Vikings won the previous two against Konawaena and Kamehameha.
“My head is sore,” Fernandez said.
