It’s too bad that Gabbie Ewing can’t defend and pass, set and hit the volleyball all by herself. Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s ball-control would be through the roof.
It’s too bad that Gabbie Ewing can’t defend and pass, set and hit the volleyball all by herself. Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s ball-control would be through the roof.
The 5-foot-7 senior outside hitter can only do two of three: block or pass in serve-receive or transition, and attack at the net or back row.
Ewing is the reigning Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II player of the year, and the centerpiece of a Ka Makani team that got hit hard by graduation and one significant transfer.
Veteran coach Sharon Peterson lost sisters Tiana Reynolds (now at Centralia College), an All-BIIF first team outside hitter and solid ball-handler, and Tehane Reynolds (now at Honokaa), a first-team setter.
Tehane is the latest HPA standout to transfer to the neighboring Dragons. Sisters Chancis and Eliyah Fernandez also left the private school for Honokaa, and raised their hometown school’s profile with a first Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II state basketball title in February.
On the strength of homegrown talent, Peterson, an NAIA Hall of Fame coach, has built her mentally tough Ka Makani into a league power. They — not reigning state champion Konawaena — are the defending BIIF champs.
In fact, HPA has snagged BIIF titles in 2010, ’11 and last season, qualified for states each of the past eight seasons, and lost to Konawaena back in November in what was an epic state final between two stars.
Ewing produced 22 kills on a .173 hitting clip, and had 25 digs in the four-set loss while Wildcat outside hitter Chanelle Molina drilled 28 kills on a .217 hitting percentage, and got 20 digs.
The funny thing is both are better at their first sports: Molina, the reigning BIIF Division I player of the year in basketball, and Ewing, a three-time first-team pick in soccer.
“We’re definitely rebuilding, but we’re not young,” Peterson said. “We’ve got five seniors and seven juniors and are a top heavy team. It’ll be tough to defend the BIIF title. Kona is stacked. They have a great chance to defend their title at states.”
Last season, Ewing had a pair of bad habits, hitting goofy foot (with her right foot forward) and her head tilted back. She’s corrected both flaws, and improved her game over the summer.
Ewing was on Konawaena coach Ainsley Keawekane’s Hoopa club team, which included Chanelle and Celena Molina, that traveled to the USA Volleyball Junior Nationals in Minnesota.
HPA may not have the ball-control from last season, but at least there’s height with two 6-foot returning front-row players: Anna Juan and Alaina Bradley.
“Ula Brostek (a 5-8 senior) is back. She played as a freshman, but didn’t play last year,” Peterson said. “We’re still seeing how people work at different positions, and we’re moving people around.
“Gabbie has great ball-control. The others are coming along. We’ll get better as the season goes on. Hopefully, we’ll continue to improve with our setting and ball-handling. Those are the two biggest areas we need to improve on.”
It’ll take time for the rebuilding Ka Makani to find a comfortable groove with their ball-handling and setting (Carina Verhulsdonk, the other setter, graduated), but Peterson can depend on Ewing for brilliant firepower and scrambling defense — something last seen at states.
Ka Makani opened the season with a three-set victory at home Wednesday against Makua Lani, and they travel to Pahala on Saturday to face new-look Ka‘u, which saw its streak of three consecutive state appearances end last season.
Coach Joshua Ortega has won BIIF titles with the Trojans’ boys and girls programs, but he noticed something different this preseason.
“We’re really not all that tall,” he said.
Ka‘u can no longer rely on 2012 graduate Marley Strand-Nicolaisen or 2013 grad Toni Beck, but it retains a strong nucleus in outside hitters Bea Padrigo and Sky Esperon-Kanakaole and setter Kerrilyn Domondon.
Each will see her role expand this year, and Ortega said even Domondon will get her share of hits.
Pahoa joined Konawaena and HPA at states last season, riding Maxine Block. The bad news is that Block is gone. The good news, first-year coach Precious Salazar said, is the Daggers have players with club experience to help make up for her loss.
Stephens Media Hawaii’s Matt Gerhart contributed to this report.