Knights vs. Farrington On VB Court
By Jack Danilewicz
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Castle High’s girls volleyball team may be small in stature and short on style points, but those realities have only helped them embrace their workmanlike approach.
“We’re not the tallest team, but I’d say we’re well-balanced,” said Castle coach Brannan Bajet, whose team closes out its regular season Wednesday when it visits Farrington for a 6 p.m. match.“If we play the way we are capable and keep improving every game, we feel like we always have a chance.”
After Wednesday’s game, the Knights, who took a 6-4 record into last weekend, will have a week for fine-tuning before the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II playoffs begin Oct. 17. Castle knew by early last week that it would make the post-season, but Bajet has seen no let-up in practice. “We’re progressing pretty well,” he said. “The girls are feeling more comfortable with our system, and some of the junior varsity kids (from last year) that have come up are starting to feel more confident in playing with the upperclassmen.”
Most playoff-caliber teams have good players who are also good leaders. For leadership on the floor, the Knights boast one of the OIA’s top players in Kelsie Bajet, the coach’s younger sister. A senior outside hitter, she’s had the season her brother had envisioned for her.
“Kelsie wants to be among the top players. She’s doing even better (than projected). She’s been a great team leader and a real asset. The girls look up to her court awareness - that’s her strength.”
While a player-coach relationship can be complicated when both are related, that’s never been an issue here, said Bajet. “She does-n’t think of me as a brother on the court. She’s gotten used to the fact that when we’re on the court, I’m being a coach.
“She’s also still aware that I’m her brother,” he admitted with a laugh.
Veteran leadership can be found throughout the Knights’ lineup, in fact, with the rotation centered around seniors Chantalle DeLa Courture, Keawe Aolahiko and Alana Abbey, as well as junior Osana Ausuko, a Farrington transfer. Ausuko had a “career night” against her former teammates in the first meeting between Castle and Farrington Sept. 29, tallying a team-high 10 kills to leads the team in its 25-7, 27-25 victory.
“She felt like she had something to prove against her old coach and former teammates,” Bajet said.
In the Governors, Bajet is expecting a tough game in Wednesday’s rematch, especially with the encounter taking place on the road.“Farrington’s strength is their blocking - their defense in general. We have to keep on doing what we’ve been doing well - strong serving - and we need to continue to be consistent in controlling the ball.”
Although pairings for the OIA Tournament will be announced over the weekend, the Knights have put the emphasis on themselves, rather than worrying about who their first-round opponent will be. Castle’s first priority is to avoid beating itself, according to Bajet. “For me, as a coach, I always remind the girls that the team that makes the least amount of mistakes will have the better chance of winning the game.
“Volleyball has changed. Everything used to be (based) on a side-out. Now, everything is a point.”
The top four finishers in the OIA Tournament earn the league’s berths for the New City Nissan 2007 Division II State Volleyball Championships, which will take place Oct. 31-Nov. 3.
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