KEAAU – Waiakea had a better 1-2 scoring punch, though that comes with an asterisk, but Kamehameha featured better offensive depth, ball control, and defense — usually a recipe that leads to championships.
KEAAU – Waiakea had a better 1-2 scoring punch, though that comes with an asterisk, but Kamehameha featured better offensive depth, ball control, and defense — usually a recipe that leads to championships.
Kamehameha followed a familiar pattern and defeated Waiakea 25-22, 25-14, 27-29, 25-17 in a BIIF Division I volleyball match Monday night at Koai’a Gym.
Avery Enriques pounded 22 kills, Addison Enriques 16 while Makana Manoa and Nalu Kahapea had six each for Kamehameha (2-0), the three-time defending BIIF champion, which attacked from the left and right pins and middle.
Kolby Aiona soared for 28 kills, Santana Madrid added 12 kills while Damien Merseburgh had two kills for Waiakea (2-1), last year’s BIIF runner-up, which largely depended on the outside hitting production of its tag-team A&S slammers.
The Enriques senior twin brothers didn’t play much in the third set, giving way to the backups, who couldn’t make it an early night. It was the same thing last Monday, when the Warriors beat Hawaii Prep in four, losing Game 3 with the starters out.
Kamehameha had just a few more kills, 47-44, but Waiakea had far more unforced errors (hitting, serving), 37-28.
That’s to be expected because Aiona is the only returning starter. Outside hitters Madrid and Merseburgh, middles Purtin Robinson and Sepp Steffany, setter Naka Labrie, and libero Marcus Kenoi are new starters. All are seniors except for Labrie, a junior.
Another major difference was defense, especially from the twins, who are middle-back defenders (basically, serving as two liberos) and starting libero Tristan Cross was another Warrior blanket.
Kamehameha served tougher, racking up more aces, 8-3, firing fastballs at the far corners and serving short to catch Waiakea off-balanced.
In the 25-22 first set and the most entertaining game of the night, Avery Enriques pounded eight kills, and Addison Enriques had five kills to neutralize Waiakea’s tandem of Aiona (seven kills) and Madrid (four kills).
There were five ties, but Kamehameha served a bit tougher with Addison Enriques dropping three aces while Avery Enriques knocked down three of his team’s last four kills, the final one by Kahapea.
In the 15-14 second set, the Enriques brothers, Addison (six kills) and Avery (five kills) carried the bulk of the offense to again counter Aiona (six kills) and Madrid (two kills).
Waiakea had far more unforced errors, 8-4, than Kamehameha, which ripped off a late 6-0 scoring run to grab a 23-13 cushion.
After a service error, Addison Enriques closed the set with his 11th kill through two games.
In the 29-27 third set, Waiakea had more unforced errors, 12-9, and withstood Kamehameha’s second team.
The game was tied four times, at 24, 25, 26, and 27, then Aiona smashed his eighth kill, and the host Warriors had a hitting error to force the fourth set.
Aiona slammed seven kills in Game 4 but Madrid and Robinson had one kill apiece. And that was it for Waiakea’s offense.
Waiakea caught fire and scored seven straight points to grab a 9-8 lead but had four consecutive hitting errors to watch Kamehameha jump ahead 19-13.
Avery Enriques served an ace for a 24-17 lead, then hit into the next for a service error, but Kahapea closed the match with a solo block.