Kamehameha’s Keonilei Akana (10) bumped the ball as Kamehameha’s Kanoelani Lindo (5) looked on during a sweep of Punahou to win the ILH girls volleyball championship. Photo by Cindy Ellen Russell/Star-Advertiser.
ILH champion Kamehameha is the top seed in the New City Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championships beginning Monday.
Mililani earned the No. 2 seed in Division I after knocking off Moanalua in five sets, 15-25, 28-26, 25-14, 21-25, 15-10 for its second consecutive OIA championship, becoming the first team to repeat as OIA champion since Na Menehune in 2014-15.
BIIF champion Kamehameha-Hawaii earned the No. 3 seed and MIL champion King Kekaulike is the fourth seed.
The first round is Monday with Le Jardin traveling to Maui to face Kamehameha-Maui and Kapolei headed to the Big Island to play Waiakea. Moanalua will host Waianae and Punahou will host Kahuku.
The state tournament schedule is below.
Division I
| Match # | Date | Matchup | Time/Scores | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct. 21 | Moanalua vs. Waianae | Moan 25-20, 24-26, 25-19, 23-25, 15-13 | Moanalua |
| 2 | Oct. 21 | Punahou vs. Kahuku | Pun 25-19, 25-19, 19-25, 25-21 | Punahou |
| 3 | Oct. 21 | Waiakea vs. Kapolei | Kapo 25-15, 25-18, 25-13 | Waiakea |
| 4 | Oct. 21 | KS-Maui vs. Le Jardin | LJA 25-21, 20-25, 25-19, 25-14 | KS-Maui |
| 5 | Oct. 24 | (4) King Kekaulike vs. Moanalua | Moan 25-17, 25-17, 25-19 | Moanalua |
| 6 | Oct. 24 | (1) Kamehameha vs. Kapolei | KSK 25-20, 25-14, 25-20 | Moanalua |
| 7 | Oct. 24 | (3) KS-Hawaii vs. Punahou | Pun 25-12, 21-25, 25-20, 25-23 | McKinley |
| 8 | Oct. 24 | (2) Mililani vs. Le Jardin | Mil 22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-20 | McKinley |
| 9* | Oct. 25 | King Kekaulike vs. Kapolei | Kapo 25-23, 25-16 | McKinley |
| 10* | Oct. 25 | KS-Hawaii vs. Le Jardin | KSH 25-20, 25-22 | McKinley |
| 11 | Oct. 25 | Moanalua vs. Kamehameha | KSK 25-22, 25-19, 25-18 | Moanalua |
| 12 | Oct. 25 | Punahou vs. Mililani | Pun 25-22, 25-12, 25-20 | Moanalua |
| 13* | Oct. 26 | Kapolei vs. KS-Hawaii | Kapo 25-16, 24-26, 15-8 | Blaisdell Arena |
| 14* | Oct. 26 | Moanalua vs. Mililani | Moan 14-25, 28-26, 15-12 | Blaisdell Arena |
| 15 | Oct. 26 | Kamehameha vs. Punahou | KSK 21-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-21 | Blaisdell Arena |
| * — consolation | ||||
I predict a Kam-Punahou (another all ILH) state final but I think Mililani has a solid chance to at least make the championship match. That would be the best consolation for me. Not trying to look too far ahead but a potential Punahou-Mililani semifinal matchup could be scintillating. It’s a shame though that the state’s best player in Elena Oglivie will not be playing in the state tournament this year. However, it’s great though to see at least one ILH team aside from the Big 3 get a chance to play in the tourney. Good luck to all teams next week!!
I think a Kamehameha vs. Punahou state final is a given. There is a potential interesting match in the quarterfinals between Mililani and Le Jardin. If Le Jardin wins over Mililani and makes it to the semifinals with Punahou and Kamehameha, the state tournament committee truly needs to think about a new format for next year.
Shouldn’t the state tournament be about the best of the best, regardless of league affiliation? This should hold true for every sport. If anything, why don’t we just have league champions and runners-up play for state titles? Does it really make sense to have a 4th place team from any league participating?
Why is it that Moanalua ALWAYS play in their home gym for state volleyball?? Boys and Girls.
Once again, ILH teams gets too little respect! #2 seed is Mililani?? Kamehemeha Big Island #3? Kekaulike #4 Mark my words, none of them will be in the finals! With all the history of the last 20 years, it still happens year after year? What? You feel sorry for these teams and need to seed them higher than they deserve to give them
a better chance? ILH gets sh-t on every year every sport!!! Wake up State athletic directors!!
ILH has all the money, all the state championships, all the best players in the state, all everything. And now you want all your teams in the state tournament for every sport. Wahhhhhhhhhh I want more!!!!!!!!!!
If you don’t like it. Then maybe you’re school should win the ILH. The state tournament is a state tournament. It’s supposed to be representative from every league. Yes the ILH dominates the state tournaments in almost every sport. But you still have to give a chance to the little guy.
@Tired of it! … sorry, but LOL at your rant. It is actually the state tournament RULES that the 4 league champs get the top 4 seeds. It’s been that way since the very first state tournament and not going to change.
Yes, everybody knows Kamehameha should be the 1 seed and Punahou the 2 seed because thats what the championship game will end up being anyway. But the rules are the rules and Punahou is not seeded because they lost the ILH championship game.
The team that really got a sucky draw is Kahuku because they have to play Punahou in the first round at Punahou.
@Rayze…
Its hard to be the best, when your not dancing next week with the BEST!!!!!!!
@Take a Dive – You are right; I think it’s hard BUT it IS possible. I know you were poking fun @Rayze.
Watching 30 years of High School volleyball there have been many great players. Kanani, Alohi, Aneli, Carli Kan, Sarah Palmer, Kamanao, Lindsey Berg, Lily, Tai, Nani Cockett, Yamashiro, Robins and Robyn Ah Mow and now I believe Elena Oglivie respectfully should be included on that list looking at her HS career. I may have left names off unintentionally, so I apologize. Is there another player playing next week in states where you can say belongs on that list? Elena missing matches earlier in the year against Kamehameha and Punahou impacted the standings of the ILH regular season and playoffs when she played for Team USA. Iolani should have beat Kamehameha. I don’t believe they have anyone to look at but themselves. Nothing to be ashamed of either. That 3 bid ILH format is still TBD if it needs to be revamped. A young Le Jardin may surprise. 3 years ago ILH had 4 teams that could have won states that year; KAM, PUN, Iolani and Maryknoll were all stacked and beat each other up the whole year. Going back to next week, there are many great players playing at states and it will be a fun tourney. Soares, Akana, Falanika, Aysia, Nani Spaar, Devin of Kamehameha, DeBina-Bautista, Tayli Ikenaga, Sopi and Savannah Taosoga of Kahuku and more. Watching Elena play this year in person or on TV she was arguably still the best player on the court each match. Amazing HS career that ended without states this year.
A tournament bracket’s sole purpose is to decide on the winner only. Everything else doesn’t matter. You could be the second best team in the tournament and be knocked out immediately by the #1 team depending on where you’re placed in the bracket, meaning any other finish than #1 is irrelevant. If your team couldn’t win the ILH playoffs nor get one of the 2 other berths, its pretty clear your team shouldn’t be in contention for the crown.
Wainakea, Sorry, the seeds are intended to have the top teams play the lower level teams early, so they don’t have the top teams eliminate each other allowing one of two lower level teams to advance. Falcon Future, You contradict yourself by saying “that’s the way it’s always been” (rules can be changed). then say Kahuku got the jag by having to play Punahou early? Maybe they would have played Mililani if seeded correctly? Hau’ula Boy… States should be for States Best teams, not the “little guy” You’re the participation trophy type guy! 🙂
Falcon Future, your earlier post says the “State committee should change the format” If Le Jardin gets to the semi’s. But you tell me “the rules are the rule” thus agreeing with me? Funny!! Wainakea, have you ever run a tournament? The reason to seed a Tournament properly is so the top teams don’t play (knock of each other) early! The #1 seed is not the only seed that matters! 🙂