Hilo coach Drew Fernandez doesn’t need to look far to find a source of motivation for his biggest volleyball weapon, senior lefty outside hitter Taina Leao.
Fernandez joked that mentioning that her sister sophomore middle blocker Tia Leao hits the ball harder fires Taina up.
Leao not only mashed balls but also displayed finesse shot, and Hilo swept Makua Lani 25-8, 25-19, 25-9 in a BIIF season-opener on Tuesday night at the Vikings Gym.
Leao and junior middle Mahala Kaapuni knocked down 11 kills each while senior middle Laurie McGrath added six kills. Tia Leao finished with two kills.
The BIIF runner-up Vikings return four starters: Leao at opposite, Kaapuni and McGrath in the middle, and libero Jamie Chun.
Leao took something off her fastball and found deep-corner kills and hit precise cut shots that landed in front of the sideline.
Kaapuni hit from all three posts: middle, left and right. McGrath kept hitting over the block from the left spot. Their diversity lengthened Hilo’s offensive options.
And there are options all over the place. Last year, the Viks ran a 6-2 offense with two setters. Fernandez is keeping an open mind. He’s got three setting candidates in senior Erica Canon and sophomores Sarai Ua and Makani Lum Ho –Chesebro.
The back row spots will include juniors Chun, and Aaliyah Asuncion and seniors Mia Takai and Siena Mizuno.
There’s a lot of competition for the left-side hitting jobs: sophomores Sarah Katayama and Taylor Canon, and junior Leiali’i Makekau Whitaker.
The three top sluggers — Leao, Kaapuni, and McGrath — can also take turns smoking rockets from the left post.
“My role is to become a leader for the younger girls and take over from Kailee (Kurokawa) and Kawai (Ua).
“Tia and I are on different teams (for the Piopio Bears). But it’s good to have her here. We’re always pushing each other.”
Despite a few stumbles in Game 2, Hilo’s ball-control looked sharp and the firepower was unpredictable, which kept the Lions guessing on which way to shift their block.
In addition to team leader and power hitter, Leao played the role of politician when asked about Hilo’s title chances. (The Viks last won the BIIF crown in 2016).
“We’ll still be in the mix,” Leao said about fellow Big Three rivals Waiakea and Kamehameha. “We’ve still got something to prove. Nothing is promised.”
That’s especially true about the starting lineup.
“That’s still up in the air. I don’t know if we’ll go with a 5-1 or 6-2 (with two setters),” Fernandez said. “We’re still trying to find a set lineup. The girls could go anywhere on the court. We’re trying to find that right rotation. We’ve got a lot of options.
“At practice, I was joking with Taina that Tia might take her job and hits the ball better. That got her fired up.”
Maybe Fernandez will keep running that same line — all the way up to the BIIF championship.
