KEAAU —Kamehameha junior Avery Enriques had the better outing than his twin brother Addie Avery, so he got a chance to highlight the volleyball team and the one difference between the two on Tuesday night at Koai’a Gym.
KEAAU —Kamehameha junior Avery Enriques had the better outing than his twin brother Addie Avery, so he got a chance to highlight the volleyball team and the one difference between the two on Tuesday night at Koai’a Gym.
The 5-foot-10 outside hitters took turns swinging from the left spot, but Avery smashed a match-high nine kills in Kamehameha’a 25-9, 25-16 win over Hilo in a BIIF Division I season-opening match.
Avery Enriques finished with one kill for the Warriors (1-0), who piled up 21 kills and had nine unforced errors.
In the time-sharing role of setter/hitter, Kainalu Whitney added three kills while his partner Pukana Vincent had one kill. Chase Carter and Isaiah Nakoa-Oness each had two kills.
Taulelei Toledo and Kyron Toriano had fives kills each while Raymond Rowe and Jax Uyemura added two kills each for the Vikings (0-1), who compiled 14 kills and 22 unforced errors (hitting, serving, ball-handling).
In the first set, Avery Enriques was on fire and smashed six kills. The second-string starters, such as setters Kameron Moses and Naia Makuakane, played in the second game, when Avery added three kills in a few rotations.
“We had good energy, and I was pretty stoked and surprised that I did that well,” Avery Enriques said. “The similarities between me and Addie is our playing style, our thinking on the court. The difference is I definitely have better hair.”
Hilo’s coach is Jay Rowe, an assistant to Ben Pana last season. Rowe is the son of local volleyball icon Raymond Rowe, who passed away in 2006.
There are two Rowe grandchildren on the roster: senior Raymond Rowe III, the son of Raymond “Lana” Rowe Jr. and sophomore Lawrence Rowe, the son of Lena Rowe.
“We’re rebuilding. We’re a young team,” Hilo coach Rowe said. “Hopefully, we can do good, communicate and play together. As far as an outstanding player, they all can be outstanding. We’re still learning, and we’ll get better as the season goes along.
“Last year, Raymond and Taulelei Toledo played. Kyron Toriano is a senior, and he’s new and came out this year. We’re looking at those three. If those seniors can pick up the team, that’ll be real nice.”
The Warriors served tough, racking up five aces, including two each by Addie Enriques and Nalu Kahapea, who may own the team’s title as tallest player. On the roster, he’s listed at 6 feet 1, an inch shorter than Carter.
However, for basketball he was listed at 6 feet 3, so if Kahapea regains those two inches, he’ll claim Carter’s height crown. Vincent is 5-10, so he’s out of the running for the tall title. But he was one of a half-dozen hoopsters on the court.
From Kamehameha, it’s Vincent and sophomore Kahapea and on Hilo there’s setter Kaimana Kawaha, Lawrence Padasdao, Liko Medeiros and Uyemura. Vincent and Kawaha are seniors. Their BIIF basketball days are over, but their volleyball journey is just beginning.
Vincent is still getting into the swing of things, setting for the last two weeks and filling the role of hitter in the 6-2 offense when Whitney sets the ball. Still, Vincent liked what he saw in the season-opener.
“We played at a steady pace throughout the game,” said Vincent, who hopes to play hoops in college. “When we made a mistake, we got together, told each other what we needed to do and fixed it. We were having more of a connection between the middles and setters.”
Kahapea, the tall guy, and Jarvis Benito, the other 6-1 middle, finished with only one kill each, but their presence opened up the outside for Avery Enriques, who kept hitting curveballs around Hilo’s block.
“Hilo’s young and has good talent,” Kamehameha coach Guy Enriques said. “They just need time to develop, just like us.”
In the junior varsity, Kamehameha swept Hilo 25-22, 25-15.