Kalaheo’s Got Talent, Even If They’re Slow Starters
By Jack Danilewicz
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The Kalaheo boys volleyball team made it a habit of taking the long, hard route in its regular-season matches. As the Mustangs prepare for the upcoming postseason, head coach Gavin Cook hopes his team can deliver the knock-out punch in a more timely manner.
“These guys are a roller coaster ride,“laughed Cook, whose team was to close out its OIA East Red schedule on Tuesday versus first-place Roosevelt.“We’ve started out a lot of games behind this year, but the one thing this group does is rally. When it’s time to turn it on, they’ve been able to come through and win. That’s a good thing. They get it done.
“I wish we could start off a little better,” he added.“It would be more relaxing for me. I think these guys enjoy giving me stress.”
If anything, the pressure figures to multiply in the coming days for team and its OIA counterparts, especially given the balance across the league.
“There’s a lot more parity in the league than in the past,” said Cook, whose team took an 8-3 record (good for second place) into the weekend. “After Roosevelt, and Waianae in the West, there’s a whole group of teams that can beat anyone on any given day.”
Cook was anticipating Kalaheo receiving the East’s No. 2 seed, which would give the Mustangs a first-round bye and an automatic berth in the OIA quarterfinals. (The top five finishers in the OIA Tournament receive the league’s berths for next month’s New City Nissan state volleyball championships.)
Kalaheo finished second in the OIA and fourth at the Division I state tournament last season, but they have a far different make-up than a year ago. With the boys volleyball season moving to spring this year, Kalaheo lost a handful of “upand-coming” players, according to Cook, because of a conflict with baseball season. Conversely, several Mustang football players were able to join the volleyball program with football and volleyball no longer played during the same season.
“Where we lost some talent, we’ve gained some,” said Cook, noting the additions this season of former football players D.J. Chang, Giovanni Wozniak and Taylor Tadani.“The guys who have joined from football have all done a great job of stepping in this year.
“Taylor is our spark plug. He gets all over the place, especially on defense. I’ve never seen a kid that neglects his body the way he does. D.J. is a strong kid and a strong hitter who can also pass. I wish we’d had them for four years instead of one.”
Senior Pono Wong has provided leadership for the Mustangs, meanwhile. An all-conference selection last season as an outside hitter, he has been splitting his time between playing on the outside and setting.
“He the biggest piece of the puzzle,” Cook said. “He has the most volleyball knowledge because he plays year-round. He hits really strong, he’s a good passer, and he has a really tough jump-serve. When he’s hitting it, he can win games for us.”
Cook also praised the play of senior outside hitter Ken Uchida, who is in his first year as a starter. “He’s a solid defender, and he could play any position. We started him at libero, but now he’s stepped into the front row and become a solid outside hitter for us.”
With about a week between the end of the season and the start of the playoffs, Cook and the Mustangs will be looking to do a little fine-tuning.
“Minimizing mistakes is always important, and they’ve been a problem for us,” he admitted.“We have an attacking mentality, but we’re finally starting to figure out that you have to take what the set gives you. Sometimes you have to put it in and stay alive. Our passing is where we start - that is our biggest key.
“What we’ve really been trying to work on lately is our defense,” he added.“With our height, we’re not as quick; it seems like we’ve been outplayed on that side so we’re trying to work on that. It’s a whole new ball game when the playoffs start. The intensity level is raised.”
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