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Kaahaaina-Torres' leadership, Oglivie's defense help Raiders get by Buffanblu




In the midst of what can best be described as chaos, Saige Kaahaaina-Torres made sure her team stayed even-keel Tuesday night.

With Iolani clinging to a one-point advantage late in the winner-take-all match against rival Punahou — before a raucous near-capacity crowd of about 800 fans at the Raiders' lower gym that was hanging on every point — Kaahaaina-Torres brought her other five teammates on the court together and offered a stern reminder.

"For me, it was just like ‘one at a time,' " the senior outside hitter said.

The back-and-forth fourth set saw the teams exchange leads nine times. There were 21 ties in game 4, but Grace Wee's service ace gave the Raiders their seventh try at match point after fending off a pair of set points for the Buffanblu.

That's when Kaahaaina-Torres put her leadership on display by urging her team to stay in the moment, rather than riding the wave of momentum.

Iolani sophomore Elena Oglivie bumps the ball in the fourth set of an ILH Division I match against Punahou.

"We have our two main kids (Kaahaaina-Torres and Oglivie) on the outside that get a bunch of sets and a bunch of swings, but to have that balance of front row-back row definitely helps for us," Obrey said. "Elena had some free lanes to hit at and she went after it, hit it pretty well and got some quick, easy points for us, but the biggest part of it was she dug well and serve-receive passed even better, so that gives us opportunities to swing for points."

Oglivie posted a season-high 25 digs and made a number of spectacular saves in the fourth set that led to Iolani points.

"Personally I love digging and coach Kainoa is a great teacher on how to read the balls and the certain scenarios and where that ball is going to go, and it's just easier when you read and you're in the right spot and when you make those digs it just feels amazing, so I love that," Oglivie said.

Junior libero Naya Dong posted 23 digs — three shy of her season high — and junior setter Kristen McDaniel racked up a season-high 46 assists in the win.

And then there was that crowd.

The Iolani student body celebrates after a point in the fourth set against Punahou.

While the Buffanblu certainly brought a respectable cheering section, it hardly held a candle to the mostly pro-Raiders' crowd, which included a band and an energized student section that keep the atmosphere energized throughout the match.

"It was amazing. Our student body, our faculty, our administration, I mean, everyone came out," Obrey said. "I walked through campus and everyone's saying ‘good luck,' I mean, the support here is tremendous. It's just an amazing environment and atmosphere. I think we probably have the best gym, or environment in the state. It definitely charges us up a little extra — I don't know how you can't be with that rocking — so it's awesome."

The defending state champion Raiders (6-7) will represent the Interscholastic League of Honolulu as the league's second seed in next week's Division I state championships, which gets underway Monday and concludes next Saturday.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




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