Maui Prep needs five sets to oust Waipahu, advance to quarters

Rayden Aoki | SL

It will be a battle of the birds in one quarterfinal of the 2023 New City Nissan/HHSAA Division II Girls Volleyball Championships.

Maui Prep outlasted Waipahu in a five set marathon, 16-25, 26-24, 24-26, 25-23, 16-14, to set up an all-Owl quarterfinal pairing with top-seeded Mid-Pacific.

It was a match that lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes, and marked both the first state tourney appearance and victory in program history.

Setter Ashley Davis had a game-high 32 assists and Avery Kirkham combined with Lauren Brown for 27 combined kills and 10 services aces in the win.

Waipahu actually racked up more kills (50 to 38) than Maui Prep, but Na Pueo held a decisive edge in total blocks (13 to 6).

Both teams had 15 services aces in the match.

After a fairly easy first set win for the Mauraders, the next two sets went to extra points. Na Pueo took the second 26-24 despite being down 24-22, rallying to score four straight points to knot up the match, then Waipahu turned back Maui Prep at 24-23 in the third with three straight points of its own to take a 2-1 set advantage.

Set four went down the wire once again, tied at 23-all before Na Pueo got a Brown kill followed by an attack error by Waipahu to force a winner-take-all fifth.

In the fifth, Waipahu seized control in the late stages, scoring five consecutive points to lead 13-10, but Maui Prep dug deep once again, getting a point back on a service error, than earning two natural points on another Brown kill followed by a hitting miscue by the Marauders that tied things up at 13.

Following a timeout by Waipahu, a hitting error set up the Marauders with a chance to win it, but a Brown kill tied it, and a Kirkham ace on the next point gave Na Pueo an opportunity to end it, which it did, with Brown putting down her 13th kill as the exclamation point.

Kirkham had a team-high 14 kills and 10 digs to go along with five service aces for Maui Prep. Waipahu was led by Shaeniah La Fountain who had a game-high 17 kills to go along with eight digs, a block, four aces and 15 assists.

HAWAII BAPTIST 3, KAPAA 0

The Eagles earned a straight set sweep of the Warriors, 25-17, 25-14, 25-18, advancing to face fourth seed and BIIF champion Hawaii Prep in the quarterfinals.

Marisa Nakata had 18 kills and 11 digs and Caitlin Wong added 13 kills and five digs to lead the way for the Eagles. Both players also contributed three service aces in the match, part of 11 total for Hawaii Baptist.

Setter Leina Chu had 31 assists in the win, as the Eagles hit .186 compared to just .025 for the Warriors.

Carlyn Rapozo-Kamoku and Olivia Malafu had seven kills a piece in the loss for Kapaa.