(Kat Wade / Special to the Star-Advertiser)
After Punahou’s 25-21, 25-17 ILH girls volleyball win over ‘Iolani on Wednesday, Raiders coach Kainoa Obrey said he “can’t put a finger” on the exact reason his team typically comes so close but is yet so far away from beating the Buffanblu.
“Our kids are smart,” he said. “They know they need to work on finishing sets. Overall, I’m happy they stayed aggressive throughout. When it gets to the 20-point area (of a set against top teams), I don’t know what it is, but maybe they’re trying to do too much.”
The Raiders held an 18-17 lead in the first set and looked smooth and virtually mistake-free before giving it away, partially due to errors, and never really contending in the second set.
Setter Bailey Choy thinks ‘Iolani can break through against the ILH heavies, Punahou or Kamehameha, or both.
“That’s our goal, we’re going to do it this year,” she said, emphatically.
‘Iolani hasn’t won a state girls volleyball title since 2001, when the late Ann Kang was the coach, and either Kamehameha or Punahou has won every D-I state title except that one since 1991
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