#8 Waiakea Eases Past Pahoa in BIIF Volleyball

The Waiakea High School boys volleyball team picked up its sixth consecutive Big Island Interscholastic Federation victory Wednesday night, defeating Pahoa High School in straight sets.

Set scores were 25-12, 25-17, and 25-20.

The difference between the two teams was made clear from the outset. The Warriors, coached by Ecko Osorio, displayed a wealth of height, led by 6-foot-3 senior Kamahao Paio, who had six kills and an ace. Bronson Napoleon, a 6-foor-2 senior, also made an impact throughout the match, collecting seven kills and a pair of aces.

“First set, we looked pretty good. They were on fire,” said Osorio after the match. “I did some changes in the lineup and we got pretty sloppy. We had a few hitting errors and serving errors.”

Waiakea (6-1 BIIF) showed some versatility as well, led by senior Dillon Rellez, who not only attacks from the outside, but also moonlights as a setter when senior Keanu Esser is out of the rotation. Rellez, a basketball standout for the Warriors, led the team with nine kills.

Pahoa, under first year head coach Sheri Kaehuaea-Credo, showed grittiness throughout much of the match, slicing down a 12 point deficit late in the second set and hanging tough with its Division I opponent throughout the final frame. The Division II Daggers were paced by senior Virgil Stinnett, who picked up eight kills. Fellow senior Travis Carvalho added five.

“Pahoa did a nice job of getting their offense together in the second set and we didn’t make enough adjustments to take care of that middle attack,” said Osorio. Torrell Thomas contributed to that middle attack for the Daggers. The junior added four kills.

For Kaehauea-Credo, a Waiakea graduate, the season is about building a program back up after losing 10 seniors from last year’s squad and returning just three players, most with little playing experience. A handful of first time players have been thrown into the proverbial fire, gaining valuable experience and toughness against some of the best talent on the island.

Osorio and the Warriors are on a chase behind Kamehameha-Hawai`i for the regular season championship. Kamehameha-Hawai`i defeated Waiakea in the opening match of the season, and Osorio believes that as long as his team continues to improve in every match, his team will be better prepared to compete against the top of the Division I pack.

“I thought they were in the right place,” said Osorio in evaluating his team’s progress. “We had a few setting errors, but we got we wanted. I thought we could’ve been a little more aggressive and a little more assertive in the third set.”

Waiakea, ranked eighth by coaches and the media in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Top 10 poll, travels to Hawai`i Preparatory Academy on Saturday before going to Oahu to compete in the Kamehameha Cup, featuring Hawai`i Baptist Academy, several Kamehameha campus schools, a squad from Punahou, and a team from Redondo Beach.

The daggers fell to 2-4 in BIIF play. Pahoa will host Konawaena on Saturday.

Waiakea 25 25 25 – 3

Pahoa 12 17 20 – 0