Na Ali’i Volleyball Girls On Quest For West Title
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usAt mid-season, the Aiea girls volleyball team has found itself the pace-setter in the OIA Red West conference, with six wins in six tries.
On paper, this week would seem among the most critical in Na Ali’i's quest to win the West, with matches against Mililani and Waianae on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, but Aiea coach Blythe Yamamoto stops well short of over-emphasizing any one opponent.
“The parity in the West is more than I can ever remember it,” said Yamamoto, who is in her 13th season at Aiea. “Every game is a big game to me. Any team in the league can beat any other team if they show up. It’s a matter of who shows up.”
On that note, Na Ali’i have certainly done their part in managing an unbeaten run through the West’s first round. Only a year ago, Aiea had dropped five of its first six matches on its way to a disappointing 6-6 season.
The bright spot of 2007 was the game experience the under-classmen accumulated.
“There’s a feeling of determination that radiates from the coaches to the players and throughout everyone,” Yamamoto said. “Players and coaches have stepped it up a notch to try to turn it around this season. They definitely put in a lot of work in the off-season. For the most part, this team has been on it.”
While Na Ali’i have play makers across their roster, they’re led by veterans Michelle Lambayan (libero) and Kelly Leopoldo (outside hitter). Both players were First Team All-Conference selections in 2007, while middle blockers Mele Samisoni and Danielle Grace and outside hitters Natasha Souza and Ashlei Li’ili’i also are enjoying solid seasons. Na Ali’i may have more balance than any team in the OIA.
“The strength of the team is ‘the team,’” said Yamamoto, who has led Aiea to West titles in three of the last four years and eight overall during her tenure. “No one person has had to carry us. All 11 players have stepped up and contributed in our wins.”
For their part, Na Ali’i's ‘defense-first’ approach has paid dividends. “We want to win the battle in the back,” said the coach.
“When we’re out-digging people and out-passing people, it puts us in a great situation.”
Defense will once again be emphasized for Thursday’s Waianae game. Aiea escaped with a 25-18, 23-25, 25-14, 25-20 victory in the first meeting between the teams Sept. 4 at Waianae.
“We have to concentrate on our defense - we’ve been relying on it a lot,” Yamamoto said. “Waianae is big and athletic, so they pose a lot of problems right at the net.”
Four of Aiea’s first six matches went more than three games, and Yamamoto expects nothing less than Waianae’s best effort on Thursday.
“They’ve been in a lot of games that could’ve gone either way,” she added of Waianae. “What we have to do is keep trying to focus all of the time. We’ll have to see who shows up for us.”
Following Thursday’s game, Aiea still has regular-season games remaining with Campbell (Oct. 2, away), Pearl City (Oct. 4, home), and at Radford on Oct. 7. The OIA playoffs begin Oct. 16.
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