Mustangs Carry High Expectations Into Volleyball Season
By Jack Danilewicz
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After its breakthrough season of 2006, the Kalaheo girls volleyball team assured itself of inspiring every opponent’s best effort this time around. Not that the Mustangs are complaining.
Indeed, after years of playing the underdog, they don’t mind entering the 2007 campaign as the team to beat in OIA Division II.
“We have to prove ourselves all over again,” said Kalaheo coach Hoku Liu, who led the Mustangs to an 11-4 OIA season last year en route to earning Coach of the Year honors in DII.“But (this year) we have a more solid position to start with. We’re already where we were at mid-season last year. We have a better starting position, and we’re hoping for a better finishing point.”
That, of course, would mean adding a DII state title to its resume. Kalaheo will take the first steps toward that Thursday when they meet Kamehameha-Hawaii in the first of three games they’ll play that day as part of the Kauai High School Pre-Season Volleyball Challenge. The tournament runs through Sunday with the Mustangs assured of playing at least eight matches.
Expectations couldn’t be higher for the Mustangs, who delivered the school its first-ever OIA girls volleyball title last November, when they defeated Kaimuki in the finale. Optimism centers around several returning standouts, highlighted by outside hitter Carli Huihui, outside hitter Kiana Wasson and setter Daneen Williams.
“Daneen is a great asset to the team,” Liu said of Williams, who is one of Kalaheo’s captains.“Her best attribute is that she’s quick, and she can play great defense. She always knows where she’s going on defense. We’re expecting great things from her.
“Carli is good all-around,” she added.“Her strength is her experience. She’s played for clubs and has traveled. We’d been hoping to see more leadership from her, and she’s been doing well. Kiana is one of our more reliable players. She’s an excellent hitter and a great blocker.”
Liu also is expecting middle hitter Sisi Panapa, middle blocker Honu Singlehurst and sophomore setter Kaua Cale to become impact players. All three were key components of last year’s Mustang JV team, which finished second in the East.
“Kaua really proved herself (on JV) last year. She can set consistently, she’s quick, and she has great hands. Sisi has lots of power, and she’s been working real hard on her defense. And we’re looking for Honu to blossom as a hitter and a blocker. She played club ball this year, so we’re interested in seeing how that has helped her.”
As was the case last year, Liu sees the Mustangs more than holding their own when on the attack.
“Right now, that’s our strength - offense. Our offense is something we can rely on, but we’re also working hard on our defense. We work on playing at our level 100 percent of the time. We can lose it, or we can win it, but it’s all up to us. It comes down to how hard we train.”
Kalaheo opens its regular season Aug. 29 at home against McKinley.
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