#2 KS-Hawai`i Clinches State VB Berth With Win Over Hilo

Kamehameha-Hawai`i clinched a spot in next month’s New City Nissan / Hawai`i High School Athletic Association Division I Volleyball Championships with its win Wednesday at Hilo.

The Warriors defeated Hilo in straight sets. Set scores were 25-12, 25-16, and 25-8. The victory capped off a perfect regular season for Kamehameha-Hawai`i, who won all eleven of its Big Island Interscholastic Federation contests to clinch the Division I regular season championship. The outright championship berth secured one of two state tournament berths for the BIIF.

Both teams stayed even through the first few points of the opening set before the Warriors, ranked second in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Top 10, pulled away. Evan Enriques picked up his first kill with a right-handed cross-court smash to start a five point run, which ended up putting the Warriors ahead 12-5. That gave the Kamehameha-Hawai`i enough cushion to run away with the first frame.

Hilo (8-2), under second year head coach Ben Pana, showed signs of life in the second set. Behind blocks from Sione Atuekaho and Isaiah Victor, the Vikings held a 9-8 lead in the second set. A passing error by Makenna Kaapuni ended the Hilo run, however, and Kamehameha-Hawai`i scored nine consecutive points to take a 17-9 advantage. Chase Tanaka served up a pair of aces during the stretch.

The Warriors dominated the third set from the very beginning, led by a long service stretch by junior Emmett Enriques, who lined up three aces in a 11 point stretch to push Kamehameha-Hawai`i out to a dominant closing set win.

Evan Enriques, a Stanford commit, led the Warriors with eight kills. Sophomore Pukana Vincent added seven kills. The Warriors picked up seven aces in the match.

Victor led Hilo with four kills, while Kaululaau Ontai and A.J. Matsumoto each added three.

Hilo has locked up the third seed in next week’s BIIF Division Volleyball Tournament, which will be held at Kealakehe High School. Before the Vikings worry about the tournament, however, they still have to face Division II opponent Hawai`i Preparatory Academy on Friday night at Kawananakoa Gym.

Along with earning the regular season championship, Kamehameha-Hawai`i has the top seed in next week’s tournament. The Warriors will face Kealakehe next Friday night at the Waveriders’ gymnasium. First serve is scheduled at 5:00 p.m.