Kalaheo slips past McKinley in OIA East opener

Kalaheo's Elle Foehr puts down a kill past the McKinley block in the second set of an OIA East contest. Michael Lasquero | SL

KAKAAKO — Visiting Kalaheo outlasted McKinley in straight sets, 25-23, 25-22, to start the Oahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division season with a win Tuesday night at Student Council Gymnasium.

The Mustangs (1-0) fell into a 5-0 hole in the first set with McKinley's Kayla Kurahashi at the service line, but battled back to edge the Tigers (0-1) down the stretch.

Kalaheo coach Edwin Chun was pleased with how his young team, which has five sophomores in the rotation, performed in the first OIA game of the year.

Notable sophomores in the lineup are setters Kylee Wolff and Lauryn Makaena, libero Brynn Dennis and outside hitter Elle Foehr, who had four kills in the win.

"There's a bright future ahead," said Chun, who is in his second stint leading the Mustangs. "We're a little inexperienced, but they just got to find their groove of where they belong."

While most of his players are playing on the varsity level for the first time in their careers, Chun does have a four-year varsity player in CC Pollard in the lineup. Pollard, who is 5-foot-6, was used primarily as a middle in years' past, but has made the move to the outside to bolster a Kalaheo offense that lost 2016 All-Hawaii First Team Selection Syenna Masaki to graduation.

"CC is very athletic. She's been in the middle for the past three years, but we needed some help on the pins," Chun said of Pollard. "She's developed in a passing sense and in a serving sense, and she's really coming along and coming into her own.

"With her athleticism, we're just trying to free her up to get more looks and opportunities, and she's doing a great job of growing and maturing at that position."

Pollard also showed her ability in the clutch when she helped her team rally from a 23-19 deficit in the first set. With Pollard delivering bombs from the service line, the Mustangs were able to climb back to win set one, 25-23.

The 5-foot-6 senior would go on to finish the night with seven kills, two blocks and an ace.

On the other side of the court, McKinley coach Carrie-Ann Akana couldn't be any more proud of how her team fared against Kalaheo. Although the Tigers did not come out with the win, they were competitive and showed no signs that they went 0-11 a season ago.

"We've come a long way," said Akana. "I think they really stepped up their game, everyone of them. They just gelled together this year. I told them after the game ‘you have nothing to be down about. Don't put your head down. It's only going to get better.'"

Sapioamoa Stefanny, Alyssa Martin and Jada Dias each had three kills apiece to lead the Tigers.

Reach Michael Lasquero at [email protected].