They are the 71 percenters also known as the Punahou Buffanblu.
For the sixth straight year – four times by beating BIIF champion Kamehameha – and the 35th time in the 49th year of the event, Punahou is the top dog in the HHSAA Division I boys volleyball championships.
The latest championship came Saturday night at Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu at the expense of the second-seeded Warriors, 25-18, 19-25, 25-20, 25-17.
Junior Ryan Wilcox, a thundering hitter for the Buffanblu, had a hot-and-cold night. When he was on, he was really on. When he was off, he often missed wide and long. In the end, he hit just .098, but he tallied 20 kills.
“Ryan carries a big load for us,” Punahou coach Rick Tune said. “The defense started keying in on him, but I thought he played a great game and (I) was most proud that he was able to be resilient and bounce back.”
When the Kamehameha (16-1) took the second set in convincing fashion, there was a bit of worry in the Buffanblu camp. But that worry quickly dissipated early in the third when the perennial champions showed who was boss by going out to an 11-3 lead and never looking back.
“We gave them too many big runs in the third and fourth sets,” Kamehameha coach Guy Enriques said. “We were down by 10 and cut it to five, but ooh it’s hard to come back when you give them big runs.”
Ethan Siegfried put down 14 kills and hit .433 and Kanai Akana added 13 kills for Punahou. Buddy Scott (22 assists) played the first two sets at setter, with Jameson McKibbin (24 assists) finishing it up.
“We just kind of had to settle down and come together as a team and play how we normally play, ” Akana said about the Buffanblu’s effort after the second-set loss. “We got Jameson in and he did a great job. That’s the best part of our team — the depth and support.”
Tune thought both setters did “great,” and that inserting McKibbin was a way to change it up to confuse the defense.
Avery Enriques dropped in 16 kills to lead the Warriors. Twin brother Addison Enriques had eight kills, as did middle Nalu Kahapea.
“We did good tonight with all our energy and hustle on the court,” Avery Enriques said. “I wish it could have gone the other way. Punahou is a great team, but we all put our hearts out on the court. I’m happy I got to play with this group of guys.”
In the first set, the Buffanblu came out with plenty of intensity, but the Warriors kept it close at 19-16 on an Addison Enriques blast. But Wilcox came right back with perhaps one of his hardest kills of the night for a 20-16 lead and the Buffanblu were well on their way to making it 1-0.
Kamehameha-Hawaii took advantage of three Wilcox misses in the second set to build some momentum. By the end of that set, the Warriors — riding the back of Avery Enriques — were in complete command in all aspects of the game, leaving Punahou a bit puzzled.
But as is their habit, the Buffanblu found a way. Robert Allen made a big impact at middle in the final two sets, with three block assists. Shea Suzumoto was also instrumental in keeping balls alive, finishing the night with 21 digs.
In the fourth set, Punahou sprinted out to a comfortable lead and got it to 23-13 before the Warriors trimmed it to 24-18. It took a while for the match-winning point. Akana whiffed on one and got blocked on another before Wilcox drilled one down the line.
“Winning a championship, you have to go through peaks and valleys,” Tune said. “Not only in the season, but also on the court. You saw that tonight. It’s a game of adjustments and counter moves and ultimately we just had a couple more tricks.”
Punahou has won eight of the last nine D-I state titles under Tune.
