In the long history of the Haili Volleyball Tournament, a Big Island team has won the men’s AA title — the top division — only twice, but with an asterisk both times.
In the long history of the Haili Volleyball Tournament, a Big Island team has won the men’s AA title — the top division — only twice, but with an asterisk both times.
The 58th edition of the Haili kicked off Monday, and all the locals know that Oahu’s Kailua club team (usually filled with former Rainbow Warriors) will likely be in the championship.
Last year, Culture Club, powered by local boys Ikaika Marzo and Andrew Dunn, defeated Oahu’s Leviticus for the men’s AA championship.
Kailua skipped the Haili last year and in 2012, and instead played in the USA open national championships.
Leviticus took the championship final in two games, forcing a sudden-death match because Culture Club earlier won the double-elimination round-robin.
That safety net helped Culture Club, which had a roster of eight players, including seven from the Big Island.
Culture Club was basically Hilo’s Hemolele in 2012 with Marzo and Dunn on a roster complemented with players from Oahu’s Quiksets.
That year, Hemolele defeated Oahu’s RZN to capture the men’s AA crown.
It was a good feeling, but not a complete one. Kailua was elsewhere, and the roster was not completely Big Island grown.
The most memorable Haili was in 2009, when Big Island Roots won the men’s AA title, but lost it to Kailua on a phantom point.
Our locals led 14-9, and after a flurry of errors, the score was tied 14-14. But the scoreboard showed Kailua ahead 15-14.
Cory Enriques tied it 15-15 with a kill, and a Kailua error should have given Big Island Roots the distinction as the first homegrown championship team.
But the phantom point was in play. It was too much of a helpful hurdle to overcome. Kailua eventually prevailed 19-17.
Then everyone went to Aunty Sally’s Luau House wondering how the scoreboard operator from Oahu got the score wrong.
A record 187 teams showed up in 2009, and Hilo Civic was jam packed with people getting a neck strain watching the women’s AA championship. (Both AA finals play at the same time.)
Sarah Mason, a 2003 St. Joseph graduate, played for the Rusty Wahine, which also included Hedder Illustre, Jennifer Carey and Elizabeth Kaahue.
The Rusty Wahine swept Hilo Volleyball Club, aka the UHH Vulcans, featuring Josimara Pinheiro and Fabiane Seben, for the title.
By far, the best women’s AA championship was in 2010, when UH VBC with Kanani Danielson, Brittany Hewitt, Dani Mafua and Kaaihue came to town.
The Wahine were coming off a 32-3 season and loss to Penn State in the NCAA tournament semifinals, and Danielson needed to polish herself before starting her UH junior season.
She smoked 23 kills and the young Wahine put the old-timer Rusty Wahine to bed 26-28, 25-15, 15-8 before a full house at Hilo Civic.
In 2010, the Haili honored longtime UH coach Dave Shoji. That was the last year the Rainbow Wahine played in the Haili.
Ryan Tsuji, who was a team manager for the Rainbow Wahine, was instrumental in arranging for UH players to participate in the Haili.
Bummer no boys
There are 125 teams in the Haili this year, down from last year’s 132 clubs.
There is no boys division and the BIIF boys volleyball season takes a one-week break because of limited officials and gyms.
“There are too many things they have to do,” Haili director Lyndell Lindsey said. “That’s the reason there’s no boys division.”
For one, players would have to register with the USA Volleyball Moku O Keawe region early in the year.
Then BIIF players would need to get approval from their coaches, and be on a club team.
Waiakea coach Ecko Osorio has his Pilipaa club team, so his diehard Warriors will stay sharp.
It’s the same thing for Kamehameha coach Guy Enriques with his Southside club team. Those Warriors will be in the Haili, too.
It would be a nice treat if the Pilipaa/Waiakea team meets the Southside/Kamehameha club in a men’s B division final.
Thanks old friend
One of the longtime Haili helpers was Ken Griffin, who passed away Feb. 1, 2015. He was 87.
He was in real estate and lived on Oahu, and was honored before at the Haili, but Lindsey wanted to note his contributions.
Griffin was instrumental in coordinating the Pacific Rim Tournament in Hilo, as well as two USA Volleyball National Tournaments in 1978 and 83.
“Both he and his wife Alexa were wonderful people,” Lindsey said. “We’ve very grateful for all they did for the tourney.”