Opening the league season with powerhouse Punahou, winner of the last eight boys volleyball state championships, was as big a test as any for the Mid-Pacific Owls.
Punahou left Mills Gymnasium on Saturday with a 25-17, 24-26, 25-10 win. The deep, talented Buffanblu created a different tone in the second set by starting and playing reserves. That helped the Owls showcase their game.
Reyn Miyazawa led MPI with 16 kills, two aces and one block. Caleb Law added seven kills, two aces and a block. Kalani Aona and Angelo Coluccio had one kill and one block apiece.
Coach Dave Stamp has a deep appreciation for his squad.
“My main thoughts are how pleased l am with my team’s performance. After just four practice sessions, and a lot of turnover of players, we really competed. The result of the match was an unimportant byproduct. The number of positive plays by far outweigh anything negative,” he said.
“Reyn was a calming and confidence sharing anchor for our team. Cole Kodama was excellent in his first varsity experience, I’m looking forward to his continued improvement. Caleb Law was a little slow starting, but really found his serve-pass game,” Coach Stamp said. “I’d like to mention assistant coach Jorge Negron for the job he did helping getting our team ready. I also want to commend Coach Tune for the excellent job he does with his group.”
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