Intermediate Red VB Falls To Kamehameha
by Alan Linsky
This was another match that was a lot of fun to watch.
Both teams played with fierce desire but also enjoyed themselves at 'Iolani's lower gym on Tuesday night.
And, for an intermediate level contest, the crowd was large and loud as Kamehameha proved once again that they are one of the best schools when it comes to turning out to support their teams.
In the first game, the Warriors maintained a small lead until the Raiders closed to 15-16 at 2:59. That would be the closest 'Iolani would get, though, as the Warriors pulled away to take the first game, 24-17.
The Raiders came out with fire in their eyes for the second game and started pulling away at 9-8, 11-8 and to 16-10 at 3:11. The Warriors closed to 19-17 as time ran out and the Raiders tied it at one game apiece.
In the Intermediate ranks, the teams play three games even if the first two games are won by one team. Today, the third game was earned as the two teams split.
The momentum switched back to the Warriors in the third, as the Warriors went on some nice runs, concluding the match with a well-played, 25-14, victory.
JV Red VB Falls To Punahou, 25-21 and 25-16
The volleyball was good and the suspense was there, especially in the first game.
'Iolani jumped out to a 3-0 start, but the Puns clawed back into it, tying at 3-3 and again at 12-12. The momentum slowly shifted to the Puns as the score went to 14-17, 15-19, 17-20, 20-24, 21-24 and 21-25.
It seemed as though the Raiders put everything into that first game as the intensity slipped in the second game.
After an 8-8 tie, the momentum strongly shifted towards the Puns as they went on runs of 5-1 and 4-2. With a 6 point lead at 17-11, the Puns went into cruise control, running the score to 20-13, 24-16 and game at 25-16.
One thing that was different about this match was the quick sets and spikes. I see that quite a bit at the varsity level, but I don't remember seeing it much at JV or the intermediates. The Puns made some errors trying this strategy, but overall, it threw the timing off on the 'Iolani blocks and probably gained them more points than it lost.
