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Senior night was a delight for ‘Iolani, which got 10 kills from Casey Lyons in a stunning 25-15, 25-23, 25-21 sweep of first-place Punahou on Friday night at Father Bray Athletic Center.
The Raiders improved to 4-2 in ILH play, while the Buffanblu dropped to 5-2.
“I’m really thankful for the (seven) seniors and everything that they’ve done for the program. There’s been a lot of people that have been involved with their development, but it really starts with them and their commitment to doing those hard things to be great,” Raiders coach Jordan Inafuku said.
‘Iolani had not swept Punahou since 2019, when the Raiders reached the state final, eventually losing to Punahou for the crown.
“That was a totally different team. (Punahou) has been playing great. A lot of different pieces. It’s very difficult to stop them. A great defensive team, great ball-control team and very balanced. We knew we had a tough assignment, but mostly, we’re just looking for how we’re going to play and meet the challenge,” Inafuku added.
A vocal and electric senior-night crowd never let up from start to finish.
“The crowd was really important. Being at home, that huge crowd really gives us a boost,” ‘Iolani setter Tyler Van Cantfort said.
Colby Fournier tallied six kills, one ace and one block, Waipehe Winchester had five kills and three roofs, Van Cantfort had 27 assists, four kills and two blocks, Shaun Nakao chipped in four kills and Jackson Dempster had two kills and three key blocks off the bench.
‘Iolani doesn’t have a superstar-level player like Punahou and Kamehameha do but may be playing the best team volleyball at the moment.
“Everybody’s super talented. Everybody can get on the floor. We’re so blessed that we have a good coach that knows how to use all of us. It’s so fun playing,” Lyons said. “We’re not really about that superstar stuff. Everybody’s a stud on our team. We talk about sharing the ball. We can compete for each other.”
Outside hitter Kahale Clini led Punahou with 12 kills but struggled with efficiency, as did many of his teammates. Clini hit .097, adding two aces and six digs.
Punahou had seven hitting errors and five service errors in the opening set, and 10 hitting errors with three service errors in the third set. At times, the Buffanblu have played at an elite level. Other times, they are inconsistent, as young teams tend to be.
“They had a lot to play for. They had a great win on their senior night. Kudos to their team and their players. They outplayed us tonight,” Punahou coach Rick Tune said. “Our boys wanted it and they worked hard, but they didn’t find that sweet spot of controlling their emotions. We have to take care of business against Kamehameha next week.”
Ian Kinney added 10 kills and Afatia Thompson added eight. Freshmen Elijah Smith (20 assists) and Kanalu Akana (18 assists) split duties at setter. Matthew Chun had a team-high seven digs.
The home team was in control early with a 7-5 lead that turned into an 18-8 advantage as Punahou had a slow start.
In Set 2, the Raiders turned a 6-4 edge into a 14-8 lead. Punahou rallied to tie the set at 21 after a kill and an ace by Clini. ‘Iolani responded with a kill by Winchester. A hitting error by James Taras allowed the Raiders to open a 23-21 lead. Thompson’s right-side kill cut the lead to one point, but Van Cantfort’s block pushed the lead to 24-22. Evan Porter’s kill cut the lead to one, but Lyons put the set way with a smash over the middle to give ‘Iolani a 2-0 lead in the match.
In Set 3, Punahou had an 8-4 lead before the Raiders tied it with a 4-0 run. The Buffanblu led 15-12 but could not hold on. The game was tied at 21 when Winchester roofed Thompson. After two hitting errors by Clini — one was on a long back set to the right — Lyons put the match away with his 10th and final kill.
“Honestly, this night couldn’t be any better,” Van Cantfort said. “Our coach always tells us what’s so unique about us is that we can have someone different go off each night. That makes it easier for me.”
‘Iolani will travel to Kamehameha on Monday. Punahou does not play until Wednesday, also against Kamehameha.
When the teams met on March 7 at Hemmeter Fieldhosue, Punahou eked out a 27-29, 25-19, 25-27, 25-17, 15-12 win.
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ILH
‘Iolani def. Punahou 25-15, 25-23, 25-21
Kamehameha def. Hawaii Baptist 25-23, 24-26, 25-20, 25-15
Punahou II def. Maryknoll 25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 25-17
OIA
Castle def. Roosevelt 25-22, 25-21, 21-25, 10-25, 18-16
Moanalua def. Kahuku 25-13, 25-14, 25-15
McKinley def. Kailua 26-24, 25-20, 11-25, 20-25, 15-10
Kaiser def. Kalani 23-25, 25-13, 19-25, 25-17, 15-13
Farrington def. Anuenue 25-18, 25-8, 25-16
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