Kamehameha won four games in five days last week, surviving a possible season-ending game against ‘Iolani on Tuesday to come back through the tournament and win the ILH girls volleyball championship with a sweep of Punahou on Friday.
A trophy, the seeded berth in the HHSAA state tournament and now the No. 1 ranking in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Girls Volleyball Top 10 all belong to the Warriors.
Kamehameha received all 10 first-place votes to jump ‘Iolani and Punahou for the top spot. The more interesting development came at No. 2 with Punahou holding off the Raiders by a single vote.
Four of the 10 ballots had ‘Iolani listed ahead of Punahou despite the Buffanblu going 2-0 against the Raiders in the regular season. ‘Iolani was swept in two sets without Elena Oglivie and then lost to the Buffanblu in five with her.
The Raiders, who are No. 3, had their season end after the five-set loss to Kamehameha on Tuesday.
OIA semifinalists Mililani (No. 4), Moanalua (No. 5) and Kahuku (No. 6) stay put entering tonight’s matches at Moanalua. Na Menehune will play No. 9 Kapolei while the Trojans and Red Raiders will square off with a spot in the final on the line.
Kamehameha-Hawaii (No. 7), Le Jardin (No. 8) and King Kekaulike (No. 10) round out the rankings.
ILH Division II champion Damien receives six votes and Seabury Hall has one vote.
Honolulu Star-Advertiser Top 10
| GIRLS VOLLEYBALL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Updated: 10/23 | ||
| RANK | TEAM | VOTES |
| 1. | Kamehameha (10) | 100 |
| 2. | Punahou | 89 |
| 3. | KS-Hawaii | 80 |
| 4. | Moanalua | 67 |
| 5. | 'Iolani | 60 |
| 6. | Baldwin | 46 |
| 7. | Mililani | 34 |
| 8. | Mid-Pacific | 27 |
| 9. | Damien | 20 |
| 10. | University | 14 |
Who cares where Iolani is ranked??!! Their season is pau. It gonna be Punahou and Kamehameha in yet another Hawaii state high school championship game. wahine division. It will be Kamehameha’s 18 straight time in the final game. They have won 2/3rd’s of those championship games. There is that big of a gap between the top ILH teams from the top OIA teams. Kudos to Coach Chris Blake.
Apparently Chris Blake’s real job is Math teacher at Kamehameha. But everyone knows him as the Kamehameha volleyball coach. Last week gotta be as sweet as any previous state championship his teams won. Down 2-0 to Iolani, at Iolani gym. Got swept by Iolani the previous week. Would have been so easy to quit right then. On the verge of breaking their fabulous streak of playing in 17 consecutive Hawaii state high school volleyball championship games. Backs against the wall, and they came back and slew Goliath, Elena Oglivie. Now you got to put Chris Blake right up there with other legendary coaches in Hawaii high school history. Like Larry Ginoza at Waianae, Pete Smith at Kalaheo. Jimmy Alegre Radford basketball.
“Down 2-0 to Iolani, at Iolani gym” . Correction the match was played at Kamehameha not Iolani on Oct 8. It was Oct 1 where Iolani swept Kamehameha at Iolani. in that Iolani sweep Chris Blake admitted it was a tough environment. Great job by Kamehameha on Oct 8; did what it took to win in the 5th. Executed where it counted in the final points. That match was electric. Some say that was the State Championship. OIA and Punahou may have something to say about that.