HondaReport.com - Girls' Volleyball: Recap of Ann Kang Invitational

Here's the full-length recap story of local teams in the Ann Kang Invitational Tournament held recently.

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin edited the story and ran the short version in Tuesday's edition.

HONOLULU—The broad view is simple: Hawaii teams won just 29 of 79 sets against mainland competitors in the elite Ann Kang Invitational this week.

With the nation’s No. 2 team, Mira Costa, seizing its third title in a row, Hawaii still appears to be on the fringe of the country’s best volleyball. However, that would be too simplistic a view.

The top entries from the islands were on par with elite teams like Mira Costa, Redondo Union and Buena, all from California. Kalani, behind Tamari Miyashiro, reached the championship match with final-day wins over Redondo and Buena.

“The Hawaiian teams have great athleticism and good ball control,” Redondo Union head coach Tommy Chaffins said. “Kalani put a ball-control clinic on us.”

In pool play, Hawaii teams struggled on day one, but went 13-11 against mainland squads on day two. Aiea, a young team one year ago, swept Overland—a team featuring future Georgia Tech player Laura DeMichelis. Her sister, Chrissy, is a junior who is fielding interest from a mix of NCAA powerhouses from Florida to Hawaii.

So where does this put Hawaii teams on the national volleyball map? Maybe one more look at pool play will penetrate the broad numbers.

Mira Costa, with big, ball-hawking Alix Kleineman dominating the net, lost just one set all tourney—to Saint Francis of Honolulu. Tinkering with its lineup, Mira Costa lost 25-23, and then won the second set 27-26.

Immediately after that, Iolani split with a solid California squad, Edison, and Moanalua split with California power La Habra. Basically, there isn’t a team in the nation that can experiment during play and assume a victory against good Hawaii teams.

For Kahuku, defending state champion, it gets a little more tricky. Most of its players competed with North Shore Volleyball Club, which finished 10th out of 245 teams in a national tournament recently.

The Lady Raiders were 6-2 in pool play Thursday, advancing to the championship round. There, they were swept by Mira Costa and Corona Del Mar. Kahuku’s annual bugaboo—passing—reared its ugly head.

To be fair, most of the Hawaii teams have had less than a week of preseason practice. What the tournament takes, the tournament gives. With two to three more weeks of preseason ahead, that means a lot of reps are ahead for the Hawaii teams.

At the very top, at least two local players stood tall: Miyashiro and Camilla Ah-Hoy. “I think No. 6 from Kahuku is as good as anyone I’ve seen,” Chaffins said of Ah-Hoy. “I’m sure she’ll do well at the next level.”

Ah-Hoy, whose last name is often misspelled, will wait a while before leaving Kahuku. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter-setter is just a junior.

Kahuku showed its traditional athleticism and determination throughout the tourney. Those facets alone can carry the Lady Raiders over lesser teams. Winning a third-straight state title with a mix of veteran and new players will be a work in progress for head coach Mona Ah-Hoy and her staff.

Kalani, like Kahuku, will tilt the balance of power in the Oahu Interscholastic Association toward the East Division. The Lady Falcons, ranked No. 1 in the state for much of last year, wound up third in the state tourney.

Graduates like Marisa Okamoto seemed to leave big gaps, but Kalani has filled in effectively. Senior Dara Waialae made her mark as the new setter.

“I liked No. 11 and No. 27 for Kalani,” Mira Costa head coach DaeLea Aldrich said of Miyashiro and Waialae. With Keri Hee in the middle and Amber Kanoa at the opposite slot, Kalani was resilient and balanced for the most part.

The Lady Falcons could well be deeper and better this fall. “Individually, all our kids played club this year,” Joey Miyashiro said. “In the past, it was 60 to 70 percent. This raised the standard of the team: being focused, knowing how to train.”

Like Kalani, Moanalua was one of the best digging teams in the tourney. The Menehune lack Kalani’s height—Hee, Kanoa and middle Meghan Koizumi measure at 5-9—but Moanalua’s resilience on defense was matched by few. The Menes were 4-4 in pool play, barely missing championship-round qualification.

Moanalua did it despite losing the services of outside hitter Dani Hout for most of the week. Hout, a senior, was recovering from the flu, coach Tommy Lake said.

Host Iolani may be a year or two from peaking, but the Raiders showed plenty of promise. They were 4-4 in pool play, barely missing the championship round.

“I’m happy with our offense. We had a lot of options,” co-head coach Rona Kekauoha said. “We were able to test some of our players.”

Iolani made its final cut Saturday. “At the end of last year, I knew we’d have to fill our middles. We have a lot of work to do,” Kekauoha said. “I definitely feel we’re better now than we were last year at this point.”

Part of that is because of the emergence of sophomore setter-outside hitter Kapua Kamana’o. Another sophomore, Monica Iosua, is blossoming with more playing time, and 5-9 freshman outside hitter Lauren Minkel is also providing punch.

“I think the ILH is wide open,” said Kekauoha, who is in her second year as co-coach. “Saint Francis will be tough, and so will Word of Life and HBA.”

Kekauoha was also impressed with Aiea. Blythe Yamamoto’s squad was somewhat inconsistent early on, but there is no denying the team’s power. Leilani Kleman-Maeva (5-11) and Konae Purcell (5-9) are just two of Na Ali’i's key components.

Seabury Hall brought six freshmen to the tournament and got a valuable learning experience. Steve Colflesh’s team has been a power in the Maui Interscholastic League for years, and most fans expect the Spartans to rebuild this year.

However, Seabury has a history of learning quickly, and despite its 14-and-under look, size does matter.

Lexi Placourakis (6-0), Bailey Roberts (6-0), Yasmine Meyer (5-11), Kaipo Rocha (5-9 ½), Kaimi Rocha (5-9 ½) and Lyndsey Blattner (5-9) give Seabury more height than most teams.

Castle has built up momentum over the past few seasons under coach Vince Bajet. Even with three starters out for academic discipline, the Knights were fairly competitive this week. Setter Kelsie Bajet showed signs of becoming one of the top freshmen in the state.

University, under the discerning eye of coach Marci Miyasaki, showed flashes of potential. Outside hitter Marissa Kanemura is just one of four seniors on the team.

Waiakea showed plenty of the same strengths as Moanalua, including lots of defense. Sera DeReis, a 5-7 middle, and transfer Lisha Natividad are two of only three seniors.

Saint Francis, meanwhile, is now senior-heavy with seven in all. Two juniors are key parts, as well: outside hitter Kawena Otineru and setter Kanani Perry. Another plus is the leadership of co-head coaches Joe Otineru and Eric Perry.

Hawaii Baptist, without a player over 5-10, was highly competitive. The Eagles, who were fourth in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu last year, have just four seniors, including versatile Brandi Higa. In all, however, coach Keith Sugiura has nine returnees.

Year-round play has increased the bar of excellence for volleyball in the islands. Aldrich believes mainland clubs still have an advantage because of proximity. “We have a more competitive club season for our kids, and it’s a very long season, from December to July,” she said.

For Kalani, harmony is the word. “We’ve got good kids who are always trying to help each other. They enjoy each other, and that’s important,” Miyashiro said. “Our parents are always looking to help.

“It’s so early, and it comes down to how to blend new players with veterans.”