For much of the season, Hilo’s little giants — 5-foot-6 junior outside hitters Kawai Ua and Lexi Paglinawan — carried the offense.
For much of the season, Hilo’s little giants — 5-foot-6 junior outside hitters Kawai Ua and Lexi Paglinawan — carried the offense.
Rarely was a block too big because both knew how to tool shots off a defender’s hands or smoke a ball through a seam.
However, Farrington’s own little giant, 5-3 sophomore Saryiah Kahakai, smashed 14 kills in a 25-20, 8-25-15-10 win to eliminate the Vikings at the HHSAA Division I state tournament.
Kahakai made only one error on 33 swings and hit .394 for the Governors (14-4), the OIA’s No. 5 team, on Friday at Moanalua High’s gym.
Farrington finished with a .255 hitting clip with 32 kills and eight errors on 94 swings. The Govs had just one block.
Ua had 12 kills (.212), Paglinawan added nine (.364), sophomore opposite Taina Leao had six (.500), and sophomore middle blocker Laurie McGrath knocked down five kills (.200).
The BIIF champion Vikings (15-5) finished with a .253 hitting percentage with 33 kills and 10 errors on 91 attacks. They had three blocks.
Paglinawan had 10 digs for a double-double while Leao scrambled for 11 digs.
Hilo loses only one senior starter in setter Kailee Kurokawa, who finished with 24 assists and eight digs.
Division II
In consolation play, Konawaena defeated Hana 25-19, 25-19, and Roosevelt eliminated Hawaii Prep 25-20, 24-26, 15-13.
No stats were available.
No. 2 seed and three-time BIIF champion Kona (15-5) plays No. 4 and OIA champion Waianae (10-4) for fifth place at 4 p.m. Saturday at Neal Blaisdell Center.