WAIMEA — Chemistry. Focus. Ambition. Excitement.
These are just a few central themes from Hawaii Prep boys volleyball’s mindset during preseason practices. With just two weeks until Ka Makani’s regular-season slate begins, the group is confident on where they currently stand.
“I think with the great coaches and the promising younger guys, we have a really good chance to excel this year,” senior Mickey Petras told West Hawaii Today.
In his final season in a red and white uniform, Petras has been on some competitive HPA squads — but he admitted that this team stands out a little different from the rest.
The reason? Ka Makani has all freshman through juniors on its roster except for two seniors. The team’s star from 2023, Sam Landers, graduated after the conclusion of the season. But despite being so young now, HPA has plenty of size, athleticism and eagerness to improve over the course of the new year.
“I feel like we have a great foundation built this time,” Petras continued. “Luckily for us, our younger generation is looking tall.”
“We’re raw,” junior Cam Root added. “I don’t know what the end-of-the-season potential is right now because we still have a lot to learn. But if all goes well, we could make some noise.”
In 2023, HPA made noise in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) — finishing 10-3 overall and qualifying for the BIIF Division II playoffs. While Ka Makani fell short to Konawaena in three sets, the group hopes to turn the tides this season with the new-look team.
“I think we have a bunch of guys who are involved in the team right away and care about the sport in general,” Root said. “We keep practice fun and we have really good chemistry.”
“We’re obviously aiming to go to states,” junior Kena Craven added, “but we also just want to get better as a team and have fun. We got a lot of young guns.”
Head coach Daena Craven noted that multiple players on the team’s roster are multi-sport athletes, which usually translates to a labor-intensive sport like volleyball, where several different parts of your body are being used. Root also plays basketball, Kena Craven football and soccer and Petras soccer and cross country.
With this being said, Daena Craven expects HPA’s well-rounded athleticism to improve the group on the floor.
“We just want to learn as much as we can and as fast as we can so we can be competitive,” she said. “But we still have a lot of volleyball to learn.”
Ka Makani will have a lot of similar BIIF competition standing in its way from years past — most notably Konawaena, Pahoa, Ka‘u and Kohala, who have all played HPA tough. However, the group explained that those matchups will serve as a measuring stick to see how they stack up against the island’s best.
“On a good day, we can beat those teams, but on a bad day, we could lose,” Root said. “I think we’re right around there as a team (currently). If we can pull through (against those teams), I think it will really let us know where we stand as a team.”
Regardless of what happens this season, Ka Makani is prepared to enjoy the ride, bond as a group and improve every week.
“Last time I’m out there on the court (as a senior), so I’m really looking forward to enjoying the season and bonding with the team like they’re family — while also playing great volleyball,” Petras concluded.
HPA will open its season against Parker on March 4 in its home Castle Gym.