What’s a good way to make that late-night drive from Hilo to Kapaau a little more tolerable?
The Kohala boys volleyball team knows the answer to that one after escaping Hilo High with a victory Tuesday night in an early nominee for BIIF match of the season.
“It’s a blur,” said Cowboys coach Nick Lorenzo, reached during a pit stop on the way back home. “This should make the trip somewhat easier.”
Estimated time of arrival in Kohala was midnight, but the Cowboys weren’t going to complain.
Kahua Kualii slammed 16 kills and Lorenzo credited Cole Fuertes and Mark Macaspac for keeping the senior-laden Cowboys in system as they outlasted the Vikings 25-21, 25-21, 16-25, 18-25, 19-17 for their first win of the season.
“It was a great match,” Lorenzo said. “People got their moneys worth.”
Don’t ask him how match point transpired – there were too many key points during the back-and-forth match to remember.
“Hilo is a good team, but they made some untimely errors, and we took advantage,” he said.
Macaspac, a senior setter, notched six kills with 42 assists, senior Kobie Kaholoa’a-Aguilar added six kills and Fuertes, a senior libero, posted 15 digs. Kualii, and an outside hitter and yet another senior, served two aces.
Kualii is seasoned from playing club volleyball, and Lorenzo was quick to complement Fuertes and Macaspac for the Cowboys’ superior ball-control.
“I’ve got a lot of seniors and this is their year,” said Lorenzo, who is in his third season coaching his alma mater. “This win could be big for us.”
The victory was much needed for Kohala (1-2), which is playing a front-loaded schedule in the White division. Starting the season with five matches against Red division teams, Lorenzo said the Cowboys held their own in the opener at home against Waiakea, losing in three sets, and they were swept again last Friday at Kealakehe.
Kohala hosts defending Division II champion Konawaena on Friday and Kamehameha comes calling on Tuesday before the schedule becomes more generous.
Kohala finished 4-10 last season, falling to Pahoa in the BIIF Division II semifinals. The Cowboys made their last trip to the HHSAA tournament in 2012, and they last claimed a league championship in 2011, ultimately finishing third at the states.
Lorezno already has been the state tournament with Kohala’s girls team, which he took over in 2016.
