Mules’ Season Deja Vu For Aiea
By Jack Danilewicz
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Leilehua girls volleyball coach Kalei Nathaniel and her team can look no further than Thursday’s opponent, Aiea, if they need reassurance that their hard work will pay off in a big way someday.
If anything, the Mules closely resemble where Na Ali’i was a year ago at this time.
“We have to take a page out of their book,” Nathaniel said.
Indeed, although normally one of the top teams in the OIA’s Red West Division, Aiea struggled to a 1-5 start in 2007 before rebounding in the second round of the season to win five of their last six, finishing with a 6-6 record. Na Ali’i has continued its upward mobility into the current season, having taken a perfect 4-0 record into last weekend.
The Mules entered Tuesday’s match with Radford winless in league play at 0-4, but they hope to rebound, much like Aiea did under its longtime coach Blythe Yamamoto.
“It’s always better after you have a chance to see what everyone has,” Nathaniel said of playing league opponents a second time, “and people may take us for granted since we lost to them the first time.
“My expectations were high for these girls in the beginning, and they’re still high. Our last match against Waianae was the best that we’ve played, although we lost. We didn’t show up for the first two games, and we had difficulty coming back, but they played as a team (in Game Three).
“Now they’re starting to understand that without putting 100 percent into practice, you won’t play well (on game night). They felt they shouldn’t have lost, and they left their hearts on the court, which is what matters.”
Thursday’s match between Aiea and Leilehua, which begins at 7 p.m., will mark the second game of the Mules’ second-round tour of the league. As in the early season, they’ll count on veteran outside hitters Ashley Gonzales and Darian Tolentino, sophomore middle blocker Tatiana Alailima and senior libero Carol Ringor down the stretch.
“Carol’s been playing real well at libero - she’s not afraid to hit the ground,” said Nathaniel, who is in her first year of rebuilding the Leilehua program after having been head coach at Campbell from 1999-2003 before taking a break.
“She goes after every ball, and that’s an asset in volleyball. Ashley, Darian and Tatiana have been very, very consistent. Tatiana is coming into her own now, which is good. Her block has improved, and she’s learned to read the hitters.
“Ashley has leadership qualities,” she added.“She’s a natural athlete, and she’s easy to correct (when she makes mistakes). She came in early yesterday to work on her skills, which is great, especially when we have a three-hour practice and a study hall.”
Tolentino has been in transition early in the season after switching from outside hitter to setter this season. “She’s a champ,” Nathaniel said. “It’s a big transition she has to make to being the quarterback. Instead of just worrying about hitting, now she has to worry about running an offense.”
Conversely, how the Mules fare defensively versus Aiea Thursday will likely have a huge impact on the outcome. Aiea won the first meeting between the schools 25-11, 25-13, 25-20 on Sept. 2.
The Mules, who have won OIA West titles in three of the last four years, feature a veteran team that is highlighted by senior libero Michelle Lambayan and junior outside hitter Kelly Leopoldo. Both were First Team All-Conference selections in a vote by league coaches at the end of last season and have lived up to preseason expectations in 2008 as well.
Also back in the fold for Na Ali’i are middle blockers Mele Samisoni and Danielle Grace and outside hitter Natasha Souza.
“They’re a scrappy team,” Nathaniel said of Aiea. “They’re resilient - they’re the type of team that plays till the ball hits the ground.
“Our passing is a key. They have some good servers, and they pick their spots well. We have to play each point for what it’s worth. It will also help us if we hit smarter.”
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