BIIF volleyball preview: Kamehameha will depend heavily on Makekau-Whittaker

Forget about what’s departed, Kamehameha volleyball coach Sam Thomas is only focused on what is in front of him — and Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker’s athletic 6-foot frame is hard to miss.

At Waiakea’s preseason girls tournament, Makekau-Whittaker sets, she hits, she blocks, she digs, she directs traffic … she does it all.

“She’s a steadying influence, a quarterback,” Thomas said. “We’re lucky to have her.”

Makekau-Whittaker represents the bulk of the 15 percent in what is a scary equation for the five-time BIIF Division I champion Warriors.

“Of our playing minutes last season, 85 percent is gone,” Thomas said.

But this is Kamehameha, so the word rebuild isn’t even whispered thanks to an entire roster seasoned through playing club volleyball.

The second-year coach is somewhat happy to point to Waiakea as the clear favorite in Division I.

“It’s fun in that we’re going to have to work really hard. The kids and the staff,” Thomas said. “We made it a point last year to get the younger players into crucial matches that were still in doubt. It seems so far everybody is going to do their part.”

Makekau-Whittaker will do more than her fair share of the work, including taking on some of the hitting workload. The senior setter has verbally committed to play for Division I Cal State Northridge, and of the four Warriors to make first-team all-BIIF last season, she’s the only returnee.

A possible heir apparent to Kaiu Ahuna as Player of the Year, Thomas sees Makekau-Whitaker as the perfect piece to build around.

The Warriors are spending the preseason auditioning No. 1 hitters to replace Ahuna, and junior Kaui Cabatu and sophomore Keani Akui are the prime contenders.

“Kaui is the total opposite of Kaiu,” Thomas said. “She’s not an overpowering hitter, but she’s a smart hitter.”

The same could be said of Akui, though both are undersized (5 feet, 6 inches) in Thomas’ estimation.

There is a tad more height in the middle with 5-8 junior Cienna Daog and sophomore Keane Farias, and sophomore Kiani Troy also will see time in the Warriors’ two-setter system.

In addition to Makekau-Whittaker, the other returning BIIF first-teamers are Waiakea’s Kadara Marshall and Kealakehe’s Nika Paogofie-Buyten.

The rival Warriors open the regular season Wednesday with a match at Waiakea.

“Waiakea looks strong,” Thomas said. “They have height, talent, experience.”

Waiakea kept Hilo from reaching its fourth consecutive HHSAA tournament last season, and the Vikings need to replace five seniors as well as first-team all-BIIF outside hitter Keola Katayama, who isn’t back for her senior season.

Second-year coach Drew Fernandez calls his team quiet yet potentially ferocious.

“They all have the will and ability to play,” Fernandez said. “We have a young team and I think we’re going to keep progressing. We can put anyone anywhere.”

Sophomore Kawai Au played behind Katayama last season and will look to fill her void this year, and sophomore Alexus Paglinawan comes up from junior varsity to offer another hitting option.

“She improved dramatically from club time,” Fernandez said.

Junior Saydee Fujioka returns as setter, and sophomore Kailee Kurokawa also will set and has chemistry with Paglinawan since they play on the same club team.

Senior libero Nalani Thomas and senior middle blocker Alexis Pana bring experience, and Fernandez sees big things ahead for freshman opposite hitter Taina Leao.

“She’s super quiet, but once she connects with that beast from within, watch out,” Fernandez said.

Unlike Waiakea, Kamehameha and Hilo, Kealakehe coach Duke Hartfield does not enjoy a full complement of club players, and it showed in a quick two-set preseason loss to the Vikings on Thursday.

“Everybody is ahead of us right now,” Hartfield said. “They were in midseason form.”

What Hartfield does have is one of the league’s most imposing players, Paogofie-Buyten, and one of the BIIF’s most athletic, Nicole Cristobal.

“Nika is definitely someone that people are going to have to defend,” Hartfield said. “She’s a leader for us and moving to the middle.”

Kealakehe was competitive with Hilo and Waiakea last season, but the personnel losses include trusted setter Kyra Calbero, both middles, and the rich got richer when outside hitter Rashai Kailiwai transferred to Konawaena.

Senior Tara Kekuaokalani switches from libero to setter, sophomore Kaelyn Kamakaokalani moves from reserve libero to starter and sophomore Hopoe Napoleon-Martins will fill one hole in the middle.

Cristobal got key varsity experience last season and Hartfield has helped her hone her leaping ability in track and field. The junior was second in the state in the long jump in May.

In volleyball, Kealakehe hasn’t been to states since 2006.

“The goals here are always states,” Hartfield said. “Early on I have to wait and see if that chemistry is going to come together.

“People have to play different roles. Last year it was all set. We could focus on the end game. This year we have to all begin to know each other.”