Kamehameha takes down Punahou to win sixth state boys volleyball title
BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED MAY 12, 2024
The title returns to the top of the hill.
Kamehameha ended Punahou’s 10-year reign in boys volleyball in a four-set victory Saturday night at the Neal Blaisdell Center in the New City Nissan Division I Boys Volleyball Championships.
Set scores were 25-27, 25-23, 25-17, 25-21 in the Warriors’ first title win since 2011, their sixth overall.
Tournament most outstanding player Kainoa Wade put down 34 kills on 76 swings as he finished the week with a phenomenal .458 hitting percentage.
It was a redeeming win for the Warriors after falling short to the Buffanblu last year in the state final and four times this season.
“We had a meeting a week after the state championship last year and I said, ‘We will be back in this game and we will win this game,’ and that’s what we did tonight,” said Wade.
“It’s unbelievable. I just wanted to bring one back to the school and fight for these players, these coaches — we’ve been through so much. We were knocked down, but we never gave up, that’s the thing. This group never lost confidence and we showed it tonight.”
Conor Williams added 10 kills, Christian Togiai had five and middles Kaupo Hoopai-Waikoloa and Poukihi Awai combined for three kills and three solo blocks and five block assists.
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