Aiea Can (Finally) Boast Height Advantage On V-ball Court

Wednesday - April 07, 2010
By Jack Danilewicz
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It only took head boys volleyball coach Erin OkamotoCoker a few minutes at try-outs to conclude Aiea would have a far different look in 2010 than in past years.

“I always thought there was a height requirement at Aiea - that you couldn’t be over 5-(feet)6 and play volleyball,” she mused. “I can’t look at them (2010 team) at eye-level. Maybe I can with heels. This year we finally have a tall team and we can put up a good defense.”

All told, Na Ali’i's current team has eight players who are 5-foot-8 or taller with two at 5-11 and another two stretching past 6 feet. The program has always rallied around its scrappy defense, which has primarily involved utilizing its collective quickness.

What Okamoto-Coker does have to contend with this season, however, is youth. There are only three seniors in the fold, one of whom is a transfer with another mainly a defensive specialist.


 

“It’s a pretty young team. Many are new to volleyball, so we had to teach them a lot (in preseason), but they’re very coachable and eager to learn. Hopefully, they’ll be in tune next year. They have to bond more. They haven’t jelled yet.”

Aiea recently reached the midway point of its OIA season, having split its first six matches. They beat Campbell twice and added a win over Nanakuli to their resume. They were defeated by Leilehua twice and Mililani once in that span. Beginning last Wednesday, Aiea was to begin a 16-day layoff that won’t end until April 17, when they play their home-coming matches versus Nanakuli and Pearl City. Given the team’s youth, the break is more a time to refine rather than a momentum stopper, in the coach’s view.

“It will be good in a way,” she said.“We’ll try to get some scrimmages with other teams. It’s a long break, but it will give us some more practice time. I don’t think we’ve peaked yet.”

Na Ali’i are led by four captains, seniors Lyle Sarmiento (defensive specialist) and George Noga (middle block-er/outside hitter), as well as junior Joshua Paulo (setter) and sophomore Dylan Yukitomo (setter/outside hitter).

“Lyle’s strength is that he brings the most spirit to the team,“she said.“When he gets in there, I can count on him to keep the team motivated. I wish I had George one more year. He’s still learning. He can leap, and he can get over the block. We have him playing all over the place (position-wise).

“Joshua and Dylan are the quarterbacks for the team,” she added. “We can count on them, and they’re ‘go-to’ players.”

Na Ali’i also boast Quintin Montgomery, a sophomore outside hitter; Brandon Lo, junior/middle blocker and outside hitter; and A.J.Aleaga, a freshman outside hitter and the only first-year player in the starting lineup. “He’s only 5-6, but he can jump,” Okamoto-Coker said.

Offensive play has been an area of focus in recent days, she noted.


“There’s potential - we have to improve on our offense, mostly. You can defend all you like, but you have nothing if you can’t put it over the net and if you give them free balls.”

Following the homecoming matches against Nanakuli and Pearl City, Aiea has one date remaining on its schedule: April 23 at Pearl City against the host Chargers and Waianae. The OIA’s post-season tournament will take place the following week.

Should Na Ali’i maintain its current pace, they should finish among the top six in the OIA West to qualify for the league’s post-season. The top six finishers at the OIA tournament earn bids for the boys state tournament, which will play out May 13-16 at various sites.

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