KIF Boys Volleyball Season Opens With Straight-Set Wins for Kapaa, Kauai High

The new Kauai High School gymnasium hosted its first KIF boys volleyball action Tuesday, March 17, with the Red Raiders and the Kapaa Warriors each posting straight-set wins to open the season.

Kauai defeated the Waimea Menehune 25-15, 25-22 and 25-18 in a match that turned on a sharp second-set exchange. Waimea seized the early advantage in that set, climbing to a 9-6 lead off a Raider hitting error. Kauai clawed back on a Menehune net violation, a Menehune hitting error, and a swing from Pierson Fox, who mixed power hitting with controlled placement. A Kauai service error left the Raiders ahead 15-11, and they never let Waimea back into the set. Fox appeared throughout the night as part of a defensive unit that also included John Ibe in the third set and Trestyn Reis and Sean Carbonel in the second, all three facing Waimea hitter Chaysen Nacapuy.

Kapaa's victory over the Voyagers came by wider margins: 25-13, 25-17 and 25-20 for a clean 3-0 result, according to Greg Gonsalves, the Kapaa High School athletic director. The Warriors controlled each set from the opening point, with the closest of the three still decided by five points.

Those two opening-night wins set up a meeting between Kauai and Kapaa on Friday, March 20, at the Bernice Hundley Gym. JV play began at 5 p.m. with varsity starting no earlier than 6:30 p.m. The rematch belonged to Kapaa, which swept Kauai 25-19, 25-14, 25-20 to move to 2-0 on the young season while Kauai dropped to 1-1.

Waimea, meanwhile, traveled to Wilcox Gymnasium on Friday to face Island School, with the same 5 p.m. JV and 6:30 p.m. varsity schedule.

Kauai's remaining schedule includes road trips to Waimea on March 24 and to Island School on March 27, followed by a stretch of matches running through May 1 against the same three opponents.