Lady Red Raiders Starting To Gel After Early Challenges
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usOnly two weeks into the girls volleyball season, Amanda Tonga and her Kahuku team-mates have already seen their share of stellar teams, thanks to their appearance in the Ann Kang Invitational Volleyball Tournament at Iolani.
The tournament, which draws top-level programs from the West Coast in addition to some of the better programs on the Island, is always an early way to gauge their prospects. For their part, the Red Raiders are only concerned with themselves, according to Tonga.
Kahuku’s season-opening loss at Moanalua Aug.18,only a day before the Ann Kang Invitational started, has the team playing with a sense of urgency akin to playoff time.
“We learned a lot from that game,” said Tonga, a 6-foot-1 inch senior middle blocker. “You have to always stay up and not break down. We have to play our game.”
The inconsistent outing might be explained in part by the team’s loss of several key players to graduation. With several newcomers to the lineup, tournaments like the Ann Kang are a big boost before continuing conference play.
Kahuku is coming off an 18-1 season in 2008 that saw it win the Oahu Interscholastic Association title en route to a state tournament appearance. They finished fourth at the Ann Kang recently, behind Iolani,Punahou and California powerhouse Redondo Union High School.
“At the tournament, we were more like a team,” said Tonga.“We wanted it, and we all worked real hard.We tried to minimize our mistakes.We had a lot of service mistakes in the Moanalua game.
“We’re starting to gel. A lot of us have played together in club,and that’s helped us.Our defense is getting better, and we’re more aggressive with our serving.”
Tonga’s play at the net figures to be one of the keys this fall. Her tall frame, coupled with her athleticism,makes her a dominant player at times. During the summer,she made it a point to stay in premium shape.
“I did a lot of running and training with my dad. I would run around Kahuku District Park or run a stretch from Laie to Kahuku.Sometimes I’d run on my own, and sometimes friends would want to go with me.”
Asked if finding motivation to run comes easily or if she has to force herself, she laughed.
“I have to force myself.” The oldest of five girls, Tonga also has four brothers. “They really toughened me up,” she said, noting that she is especially close to older brother Samiu.
Tonga calls her parents Tevita Sr. and Afi her greatest influence.“They’ve sacrificed a lot for me, and that makes me want to work even harder and do better”
While likely to have scholarship offers from colleges when the recruiting season hits its stride, Tonga hopes to stay in-state.“I want to stay on the Island, but I don’t know what school yet. Just being out there with a team makes volleyball fun.”
For the present, her focus is on Kahuku’s season. The Red Raiders,who took a 1-1 record into the weekend, return to OIA Red East action at 7 p.m. Wednesday when they visit Kalani.
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