HONOLULU — Konawaena returns all its starters and will be a favorite to take home a third consecutive Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II state championship next year, playing a style of volleyball that chops down taller teams. ADVERTISING
HONOLULU — Konawaena returns all its starters and will be a favorite to take home a third consecutive Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II state championship next year, playing a style of volleyball that chops down taller teams.
But it will likely be far more challenging because all of the familiar foes at states will be gunning for the Wildcats, who’ll have a big bull’s-eye on their back, and the added pressure of extending their legacy.
The ’Cats are already the greatest Big Island Interscholastic Federation team in school history and at the Division II league level with two straight state crowns. They captured the BIIF title this year, and finished runner-up the previous three seasons.
Konawaena can’t be called the best in BIIF history because Hilo won state titles in 1972 and ’74, long before statewide classification started in 2005.
Still, there isn’t another BIIF volleyball team that has won back-to-back state crowns, either boys or girls. Hilo took home the boys state championship in 1969, the inaugural year of the tournament.
After Konawaena took out Seabury Hall 25-19, 19-25, 25-20, 12-25, 15-9 for its state title repeat on Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena, Chanelle Molina was named the Most Outstanding Player.
The 5-foot-7 junior outside hitter posted her third straight double-double (20 kills, 18 digs) of the tournament against the much taller Spartans, who outblocked the Wildcats, 15-6, but couldn’t shut down everything.
Konawaena had more digs, 95-93, and blanketed the back row with five players in double-digits: Chanelle Molina, Celena Molina (24 digs), Cherilyn Molina (15), McKayla Ventura (14) and McKenna Ventura (10).
A tournament selection committee also voted Cherilyn Molina at utility (she’s a back-row defender) and Celena Molina at setter to the All-Tournament team. Junior middle blocker/setter McKenna Ventura was left out, despite valuable numbers (11 kills, 17 assists and two blocks) against Seabury Hall.
Of all the state opponents — La Pietra, Kalaheo and Seabury Hall — the Wildcats knocked off, coach Ainsley Keawekane believes the Panthers are the most dangerous because of their youthful power hitters in sophomore Peri Green and freshmen Jessica Akiona and Savana Breene.
“They’re a force to be reckoned with,” he said. “They’re big hitters are so young. I told Jessica she’s going to be a great player.”
The Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up lost to Saint Francis in two sets on Friday in a consolation match. But Green went off for 14 kills on a .294 hitting clip. Akiona added eight kills and hit .211.
While the Molina and Ventura sisters and sophomore libero Haena Keawekane have been the nucleus, the other Konawaena starters have been instrumental assets, though volleyball is their second sport.
Ihi Victor, a 5-11 junior, started at rightside hitter last year, but moved to the middle to allow 6-0 junior Taiana Tolleson to take her old spot, and form a big block against the other team’s L1 (leftside No. 1 hitter).
Tolleson had three blocks and Victor had two stuffs against the Maui Interscholastic League champion Spartans, who bring back their biggest hammer in outside hitter Shayla Hoeft (22 kills on 70 swings, .186 average).
Like Tolleson, junior outside hitter Alissa Nahale-Blanco is also a first-time starter and Konawaena soccer player. She posted five kills against Seabury Hall. Once she develops an off-speed shot (roll or tip), her kills will likely climb into double-digits.
“Each game Alissa started getting better and better with her mechanics in tune with the rest of the team,” Keawekane said. “She and Taiana are soccer players. Ihi is a basketball player. It’s about repetitions. If you don’t practice free throws you’ll never make them. I explained things to them in a soccer sense or basketball sense. And they were, ‘Oh, coach I got it.’
“After the championship, I told them, ‘Thank you for trusting me. You must feel good about playing instead of sitting in this championship.’ Last year, they sat, watched and learned. They all had so much fun this year and enjoyed it.”
Next season, the Wildcats will be senior-loaded with Chanelle Molina, 5-8 McKenna Ventura, 5-6 Nahale-Blanco, Victor, and Tolleson. They’ll have that same type of firepower, and back-row defense.
But against state opposition, the Wildcats will still be small. Almost everyone’s block will be bigger. The two-time state champs take that as a formidable but fun mountain to conquer.
“Even if Chanelle gets blocked, she doesn’t like to lose,” Keawekane said. “You give her an assignment and tell her to use the block because she jumps high enough she’ll do it. She’s creative and so are McKenna and Celena. They’re trained that way.
“It doesn’t matter how big the blockers are. Speed beats height for us. When Chanelle gets blocked, she’ll look at the bench and we’ll tell her to stop trying to power through the block and use the block. Then she’ll get another kill and smile at us.”
