Kekaulike claims state volleyball berth

 

By Fred Guzman

ESPN550.com

 

King Kekaulike's girls' volleyball team ended a more than decade-long state tournament drought last night with a Division-I playoff victory over Baldwin.

 

Na Alii, which had last qualified for states in 1999, bounced back from an opening-set loss to defeat Baldwin 24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 25-16 at the neutral Maui High gym.

 

The victory avenged a heart-breaking five-set loss to the Bears just last week in the semifinals of the MIL D-I tournament. 

 

That means Kekaulike will join overall champion Kamehameha-Maui in the state D-I event that begins next Wednesday on the Valley Isle, with matches to be staged at the Kekaulike and Kamehameha gyms.

 

The state D-II tourney will be held on Oahu, with Molokai and Seabury Hall representing the MIL in that event.

 

Molokai is ranked third and Kamehameha-Maui seventh in the most recent Star-Advertiser state poll.

 

There will be no Friday Night Lights in football this week.  Instead, both of the scheduled MIL games will be held on Saturday.

 

In a 2:30 game, Division-II champion Lahainaluna will play host to Kekualike on the new rug at The Imu.  At 7 p.m., Maui High will celebrate homecoming against D-I champion and arch-rival Baldwin.