The BIIF boys volleyball season will come to a climax as the Central Pacific Bank/BIIF boys volleyball championships condlude tonight at Hilo High.
In Division II, No. 3 seed Ka‘u High will look to dethrone the defending champion — undefeated No. 1 seed Konawaena High. The matchup will begin at 4 p.m., followed by Division I. The Trojans upset No. 2 Pahoa High in a five-set semifinal bout on Monday.
No. 1 Hilo and No. 2 Kamehameha Schools – Hawai‘i will clash in the DI title match for the second time in a row — but under different cirmunstances. Last year, KSH went 3-0 against the Vikings in the regular season and got the No. 1 seed. This year, Hilo got the top seed after going 2-1 against the Warriors.
Semifinals
KSH 3 – WAIAKEA 1
No. 3 Waiakea put up a good fight, but couldn’t withstand No. 2 KS-Hawai‘i, falling in four sets in a BIIF DI semifinal matchup on Monday in Kea‘au.
WHS’ third-set win of 25-21 was surrounded by losses of 25-18 in the first set, 26-24 in the second and 25-19 in the fourth.
“We didn’t feel like we played our best,” KSH head coach Sam Thomas said. “We were missing a few pieces.”
Kaha‘i Helm, a KSH freshman and starting middle blocker, is away on O‘ahu playing in the HHSAA golf championship after placing first at the BIIF golf finals last week.
“The whole team is so happy and so proud of him,” Thomas said. “Our school preaches that ‘ohana concept, and as his ‘ohana, we back his being away to go after that state championship.”
Sophomore Kawohi Huihui, another weapon of KSH’s front line, sat out due to an injury.
“That’s two of our middles, so that made it harder for us,” Thomas said. “We had to make some positional changes. But, if you see the hitting numbers, we ended up with a pretty balanced offense.”
Nainoa Paio led the way with ten kills, trailed by Kullen Pua with seven, Kahili Paleka with six and five apiece from Loheau Boshard and Kalahikiola Makaike. Boshard and Tanoa Laititi each made four blocks, while Kalena Lainui put up 21 assists.
Waiakea’s season concluded at 4-9 overall and 4-8 in the regular season. Though the Warriors had a rough start to their season — entering a five-loss skid after winning their first game — they rallied to collect three wins in two weeks during April, surpassing Kealakehe to take the No. 3 standing and playoff seed.
The victory officially punched KSH’s ticket to its third straight BIIF DI finals appearance since the end of the pandemic and second consecutive title matchup against Hilo.
It’s been a long time since KSH last entered the BIIF finals as an underdog, and the Warriors have had to adapt their mindsets to the somewhat unprecedented situation. The Vikings will also have the home-court advantage — one that has done them well this season, as Hilo is 6-1 at home — its only loss being in the early season to KSH.
“They’re the favorites to win,” Thomas said. “They’re a very well-coached, well-disciplined team. We’re gonna have to try to work hard to make a good match of it. They’re looking really tough this year.”
• • •
KA‘U 3 – PAHOA 2
The No. 3-seeded Trojans outlasted the No. 2-seeded, home-standing Daggers in a five-set battle for Ka‘u’s first BIIF DII title game berth and state championship appearance since 2014, winning a playoff semifinal matchup on Monday night in Puna.
After Pahoa started off with a 25-18 win, Ka‘u won the next set 25-17. The Daggers won the third 25-23, and the Trojans prevailed 25-17 in the fourth before dominating the fifth set 15-8.
“The boys on both ends played very, very well,” Pahoa head coach Kapono Lessary-Picar said. “It just came down to who wanted it more, and who made the least amount of errors. We wanted it, we just gave it up with a lot of errors on our end — but I though that the boys played phenomenal regardless of the errors.”
Pahoa’s season ended at 9-2 overall and 9-1 in the regular season. The Daggers swept Ka‘u in their regular season finale two weeks prior, and had only suffered one loss before Monday — a four-set road test against Konawaena in early April.
“We have maybe three boys who’ve played since they were young,” Lessary-Picar said. “Growing into a team that looked very well-put-together — growing not just as volleyball players, but as young men — was an accomplishment in itself.
“Our two setters — Uasi Tokelau and Jheyden Haili — played very well throughout the season. They are a great dynamic duo. (Tokelau) is a very passionate leader, and (Haili) is our silent leader. They compliment each other, and — along with Hunter (Paio) — bring the team together.
“I’m not gonna take a lot of the credit for the development of these boys, a lot of it has to go to (former Pahoa head coach) Kahea Rodrigues. She had a child, so I took over so she can focus on her baby.”
It’s been ten years since Ka‘u last played in a BIIF final and the state playoffs. In 2014, the Trojans went five sets with Honoka‘a to win the BIIF DII championship — then fell to Seabury Hall at the state playoffs, before losing to the Dragons in the third-place consolation game.
The last time Ka‘u (10-2) and Konawaena (11-0) faced off was mid-March, when the Wildcats prevailed in straight sets.
• • •
KONAWAENA 3 – KOHALA 0
After some time off with its double-bye, Konawaena High’s boys volleyball team handled business against Kohala in Kealakekua’s Ellison Onizuka Gymnasium — winning in straight sets. It was the second time this season in which both schools faced off, with the Wildcats winning in four sets on March 27.
Kona won a close 25-23 first set, but made quick adjustments between frames to wrap up the evening quickly, winning the next two by scores of 25-7 and 25-19.
Now with its ticket punched to the DII championship at 5 p.m. tonight, the Wildcats will match up against No. 3 Ka‘u to see if they can make it a perfect BIIF season.
• • •
HILO 3 – KEALAKEHE 0
Hilo High’s boys volleyball team collected its 10th straight win of the season, beating Kealakehe in straight sets to advance to the DI championship.
The Waveriders competed, but the Vikings’ prolific offense was too much for Kealakehe to handle. Hilo won every set by scores of 25-14, 25-20 and a narrow 26-24 third frame. It was the fourth meeting between the two schools this season, with the Vikings winning each time.
With one match remaining in the BIIF season, Hilo will play KS-Hawai‘i for the DI title.
The Vikings’ lone loss this season came from the Warriors on March 11, when the match went five sets. Hilo got KSH back the following month, beating the Warriors in five sets on April 2 and in four on April 17.
