Minds Strong For VB Title Hopes
By Jack Danilewicz
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS | Share
Del.icio.us
|
Kahuku head volleyball coach Uila Fotu-Vendiola can be counted among those who believe that peak performance begins in one’s mind.
As her team departed for Hilo early this week for the Division I state volleyball championships, generating a mental edge was as much a part of the Red Raiders’ preparation as repetitive drills.
“We’ve seen improvement in every aspect of our play. But in the mental part, we’ve seen significant improvement, and that has helped the rest of their game,” said FotuVendiola, who is in her first year as Kahuku’s coach, having taken over for Mona Ah Hoy. “That’s going to be a key factor. We have to be mentally tough. We’re close to playing our best volleyball right now. The girls are very focused, and we think we have all of the ingredients necessary to vie for a state title.”
Kahuku’s only state title came in 2002 under Ah Hoy, but the Red Raiders have been regulars at the post-season party, and they are arguably the OIA premier girls volleyball program over the past decade. Kahuku, who finished as the OIA’s runner-up last week, has now won four of the league’s last seven overall titles.
Solid defensive efforts have fueled many a Kahuku postseason run, and Fotu-Vendiola is hoping for more of the same this week.
“At this time of the year, everyone is playing well and competition will be fierce,” she said of the state tournament field. “What makes the difference is defense. Most teams have a powerful offense. Serving will be one of the things we focus on. We want to be able to serve tough.
“Through our first two (post-season encounters) with Kapolei and Mililani, we did very well in these areas,” she added. “We served smart, and we played good defense against both, and our blocking against Kapolei was good.”
How well they fare on the block figures to be another key to their success, in Fotu-Vendiola’s view.
In their OIA playoff opener against Kapolei - a team not without size and athleticism - Tialei Wesley delivered big.
“She provided a real spark with her blocking,” Fotu-Vendiola said. “We definitely see her role expanding as we go (further) into the post-season. She’s our most dominant blocker - she’ll be a key factor.”
Veteran leadership could also go a long way this week for the Red Raiders, who feature seniors Nina Blake, Alayna Galeai, Shanley Kaulula’au and East Red Player of the Year candidate Leilani Tafuna. Kaulula’au had a monster night against Mililani last week, tallying five kills, including four in the first game, while setter Tajana Santiago had 15 assists without a miscue in running the efficient Kahuku offense.
“Leilani and Shanley are playing really well. Shanley was very steady against Kapolei, offensively and defensively, and Leilani had a good all-around game against Mililani. Our chemistry is working well - that’s the biggest thing. The girls are playing well together.”
The Red Raiders also boast Santiago, Sharol Mae Kahawaii, Vaimalama Tito, Taeja Afalava, Taofi Sanft, Lavinia Latu, Alyssa Wily, Elizabeth Blake, Jovan Falemalu, Nile Te’o, Candace Tufaga and Amanda Tonga.
Pairings for the New City Nissan Division I State Volleyball Championships, which will run Wednesday through Saturday at Hilo Civic Center, were to be announced over the weekend.
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS
Most Recent Comment(s):
