KA ‘UMEKE 3 – CHRISTIAN LIBERTY 2
Ka ‘Umeke and the Canefire battled through a five-set nailbiter on Saturday morning in Kea‘au, which ended with Ka ‘Umeke earning its second win on the season and breaking out of a tie with CLA for the No. 8 standing in BIIF Division II.
Every single set was neck-and-neck. Ka ‘Umeke got the upper hand early with wins on 25-23 and 25-22 for the first two sets. But, the Canefire persisted, and responded right back, winning sets three and four by twin scores of 25-23.
It all came down to the short set, which saw Ka ‘Umeke prevail once again, 15-12, for its first victory in over a month.
Now 2-5 with two outings remaining, Ka ‘Umeke could be looking at its first-ever BIIF playoff appearance if it can remain within the top eight teams in the league. Ka ‘Umeke’s next outing and senior night will be a tough one, as the small Hawaiian immersion charter school will take on undefeated defending BIIF DII champion Konawaena High (8-0) on Tuesday in Keaukaha.
Ka ‘Umeke and HPA will also face off in a rescheduled matchup on Friday.
Ka ‘Umeke’s regular season finale will undoubtedly be an exciting one — as it clashes with the only other Hawaiian immersion school in the league, Kanu ‘o ka ‘Aina (1-7), for the first time this season — on Saturday morning in Waimea.
Now 1-6 and stuck in a five-game skid, Christian Liberty will need to add some wins in order to re-enter playoff contention. Luckily for the Canefire, three matchups remain before the end of the regular season — and two of them are very winnable. Tonight, CLA will host Kanu, then will travel Wednesday to face powerhouse Ka‘u High (7-1) in Pahala. The Canefire will return to the Old Mill Fieldhouse for senior night on Friday to face Makua Lani Christian (0-9).
• • •
KS-HAWAI‘I 3 -WAIAKEA 0
KS-Hawai‘i’s boys volleyball team won its fourth straight, sweeping visiting Waiakea High in sets of 25-15, 25-15 again and 25-21 to happily conclude its senior night on Friday in Kea‘au.
KSH’s fielded a well-rounded attack as Nainoa Paio led the way with 12 kills, Kalahikiola Maka‘ike recorded seven, Kullen Pua and Kahilikuikala‘i Paleka each notched six and Andrew Boshard came through with five.
Kalena Launia set up the Warriors’ attack with 26 assists, and Lansyn Apigo defended the back court with a whopping 24 digs. Up front, Pua and Tanoa Latiti combined for seven blocks.
All six of KSH’s seniors played the final set together.
Now 9-1, KSH will close out its season with road matches at Kealakehe today and Hilo on Wednesday.
Waiakea slumped to 2-6, and will need to find success in its final four outings in order to stay in contention for the BIIF DI playoffs. Next up, the Warriors will host Kea‘au High on Tuesday. Waiakea has had a hotly contested rivalry with the Cougars this season, who will also be fighting to improve their record in order to make a run at the postseason.
• • •
HILO 3 – KEALAKEHE 0
The Vikings won their fifth straight to move to 6-1, rolling through Kealakehe High in straight sets of 25-23, 25-17 and 25-22 on Friday night in Hilo.
Hilo currently rivals KS-Hawai‘i for the BIIF DI throne, and will have its final regular-season encounter with the Warriors on Wednesday in Hilo for its senior night. Hilo and KSH are 1-1 against each other so far this season.
After that, the Vikings will end their season with three road tests — two across town at Waiakea and one at Kea‘au.
The Waveriders dipped to 3-6, and will need to mind their p’s and q’s in order to keep the No. 3 standing. Kealakehe will next play a pair of home games, starting with KSH today and then versus Waiakea a week later. The ‘Riders willend their season on the road at Kea‘au.
• • •
KS-HAWAI‘I 3 – KEA‘AU 0
The KS-Hawai‘i boys volleyball team swept Kea‘au High for the second time in two days — downing the Cougars in sets of 25-10, 25-15 and 25-18 on Thursday night in Puna.
It was, however, a marked improvement for Kea‘au, as the Cougars won less points in their previous encounter with the Warriors.
Kullen Pua led the way for KSH’s offense with 11 kills, trailed by Loheau Boshard with eight. Kalena Launiu totalled 16 assists and Lansyn Apigo notched eight digs, while Boshard and Kaha‘i Helm each got four blocks.
The win moved the Warriors to 8-1.
The Cougars fell to 1-8, and will try to squeeze out one more win from one of their three remaining outings — at Waiakea on Tuesday and at home against Hilo on April 22 and Kealakehe on April 24.
• • •
PAHOA 3 – KOHALA 1
Pahoa boys volleyball took back its No. 2 spot in the BIIF Division II standings after beating Kohala on Thursday night in Kapaau — breaking the tie with Ka‘u. The Daggers handled the Cowboys in four sets in the only matchup between the two teams this season.
Kohala won the first set in a narrow 25-22 win, but Pahoa adjusted quickly and went on to win the remaining three sets — 25-18, 25-17 and 25-19.
Now at 8-1 on the year, the Daggers have won four in a row. Their next test will be against DII rival Ka‘u at 6 p.m. Monday in Pahoa town.
Kohala (5-3) has gained some positive momentum recently after collecting three straight wins, but is now tied with Parker in the No. 4 spot in DII with its most recent loss. The Cowboys will try to get back on track against Hawaii Prep at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Kapaau.
