Konawaena, Keaau stars named BIIF boys volleyball co-players of the year
Konawaena and Keaau claimed six of eight Division I spots as Ellison Morgan and Cashez Kenui shared player of the year honors. Pāhoa’s Kyran Canete led Division II after a title run that ended a 12-year wait.
Konawaena and Keaau turned the BIIF boys volleyball All-League teams into a map of the island’s power shift, claiming six of the eight Division I selections and splitting the top individual honors. Ellison Morgan of Konawaena and Cashez Kenui of Keaau were named Division I co-players of the year, while their coaches, Shawna-Lei Kuehu and Makamae Kalauli-Rowe, shared coach of the year honors after guiding the two programs that set the pace all season.
Morgan’s case was built on both league dominance and state-tournament production. Konawaena went 12-0 in BIIF play and 13-2 overall, won its first 12 matches, and finished eight of those victories by sweep. The Wildcats beat Kamehameha-Hawaii for the BIIF Division I title on May 2 at Keaau Gym, then carried that form into the HHSAA tournament, where Morgan led the team in kills in all three matches and finished with 36 against Mililani, Radford and Hawaii Baptist Academy. His play gave Konawaena a title season that added to the program’s recent resume, including a BIIF championship in 2024.
Keaau’s place in the honor roll was just as telling. The Cougars finished third in BIIF Division I at 7-6, and Kenui’s selection was joined by teammate Jazon Lyman, giving Keaau a strong share of the league’s top awards. Kamehameha-Hawaii, despite finishing 9-5 overall and second in Division I, landed only one all-league selection in Tanoa Laititi. The Warriors had climbed through a five-match winning streak in April, including two wins over Keaau, but their postseason ended with a loss to Hawaii Baptist in the opening round of states.
Division II followed the same pattern of one program breaking through at the top. Pāhoa’s Kyran Canete was named Division II player of the year after helping the Daggers win their first island title since 2012. Pāhoa edged Kaū in five sets on May 2 at Keaau Gym, 21-25, 25-16, 22-25, 25-22, 15-10, after the two teams had split their regular-season meetings, both five-set matches. Pāhoa finished 12-3 overall before falling to Hāna in a five-set HHSAA quarterfinal, 22-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-18, 15-17.
Taken together, the honors show a league where Konawaena, Keaau and Pāhoa did more than collect trophies. They concentrated the island’s best talent, produced the coaches the BIIF recognized, and set the baseline for next season’s race for balance of power.
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