LIHUE — Kauai High School girls volleyball was the surprise winner on Tuesday when the Kauai Interscholastic Federation started play on Round 2 of girls volleyball.
Traveling to the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea, the Red Raider ladies split their series with the Menehune when Waimea claimed the Junior Varsity outing, 2-1 on scores of 25-19, 13-25, and 15-11.
With thanks and appreciation to KIF official Tori Kagawa, the Kauai High School girls volleyball team won just one match in Round 1, knocking on Round 2 with guns blazing when Kauai took Waimea in three competitive sets — 25-20, 30-28, and 25-23.
Over at the Wilcox Gymnasium on the campus of Island School, the first round champion, Kapaa High School girls volleyball, swept the night over Island School.
In the midst of high spirits and strong team spirit, the JV Warriors took the first two sets, 25-20, 25-20, before being limited to just two points in the third set loss, 2-15.
During the varsity encounter, Kapaa senior Carlyn Kamoku was on fire with several aces, numerous solid whacks, including several from the back row, and rounding out the night with key digs.
Kapaa, undefeated in Round 1, finished the night by winning Island School in straight sets, 25-17, 25-18, and 25-18.
Kamoku was helped by Kuuipo Hunt, Jennifer Guerin, Khloe Grove, and step-up play from sophomore Welina Carvalho-Brede, who turned the tide during the first set that Kapaa won.
Trailing 6-10 in the first set, Kapaa turned to Aedyn Umalla, who served to a 12-10 Kapaa bulge, including an Umalla ace and a whack from Grove.
A Voyager block knotted the contest, 13-13, until Carvalho-Brede, coupled with hits from Kamoku and Guerin, pulled Kapaa to a 19-15 lead.
Island School answered with Cassidy Rogoff and Grace McAnarney leading the charge, and getting some surprise play from Mia Magaoay, who served an ace on her first steps onto the hardwood.
Other strong Voyager performers included Naia Char, Kolohaiaheahe Kuhaulaua, Daisy Keller, and libero Maiha Kjeldsen, who just returned with the Kilohana youth team after finishing first in the Youth division, and 16th overall during the Na Wahine O Ke Kai Molokai-to-Oahu canoe race.
Source: The Garden Island