KEALAKEKUA -- If you've coached for as long as Kamehameha Schools-Hawai'i girls volleyball's Guy Enriques has, then you'd know that sometimes the excitement of consistently winning can fade a bit.
But this wasn't the case for Enriques on Wednesday night in the Central Pacific Bank/Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I Girls Volleyball Championship inside Ellison Onizuka Gymnasium. His squad beat Waiakea in consecutive sets -- clinching the island title for the fifth straight season.
"I've been in coaching for quite a number of years, so a lot of the time, I'm not as excited as the girls," he told West Hawaii Today postgame. "But (Wednesday) was the first time for me this season where I realized how great of an accomplishment this was for this team. We lost some great players from last season, so it was a little bit of a wake-up call for me to really get excited for the girls."
Enriques and his coaching staff have a lot to be proud of. The Warriors' finished an island-best 18-0 in the conference, collecting 17 straight-set wins.
"This is a special group of girls," Enriques continued. "We're fairly young, and what I think makes them special is that they're all willing to play for one another. They're willing to buy into the system, which is a difficult thing with a new team.
"I believe their mental growth has been the largest area of improvement. They're willing to do the little things and stay composed, and that's what makes them special."
But KSH had to fight for everything it earned in 2024, especially against Waiakea for the BIIF crown.
At the start of Wednesday's title match, the two schools traded blows early, as the first timeout was called when the score was even at 11-11 in the first set. KSH was deploying its usual offense with senior setter Maile Kuamo'o generating looks for middle blocker Mia Polloi and outside hitters Shay Beals and Camryn Grace, but Waiakea played tough defense -- digging multiple kill attempts. Waiakea senior Lexie Uchima led this defensive charge with her energy.
But KSH quickly adjusted and began to separate itself as the set went on. Leading 21-16 late in the set, all seemed comfortable -- until Waiakea stormed back to tie it 23-23 with its defense and strong hitting from senior Mercedes Murray.
Out of another timeout, KSH was able to close the first frame with the 25-23 win, as Polloi notched the set-winning spike at center net.
The second set was similar to how the first began, as both squads competed in a competitive back and forth. With Waiakea ahead 12-9, KSH tightened up on defense and took control, as Polloi again earned the set-clinching kill to win 25-21.
The final set was also competitive, but the champions were able to manage -- winning 25-20 to complete the sweep.
Kuamo'o finished with a match-high 31 assists while adding a team-leading 12 digs. Polloi earned a team-high 13 kills, followed by Beals with 10, Grace with eight, and Madison Marsh with six.
Beals, Kealohi Dudoit and Ziona Luniu additionally combined for 22 digs.
"Kudos to Waiakea, they got better and better each time we played them," Enriques said. "(Murray) and (Sadie Calma) were fantastic. They put the pressure on us the whole match, which is what we need. Being pressured is something you have to welcome."
Waiakea (15-4) will join KSH in the DI state tournament, beginning early next week.
Placing No. 3 overall in HHSAA Division I a year ago, Enriques believes his squad has a great chance to make a run at the state crown this time around.
"I think we have as good of a chance as anyone," he said. "All of us are excited to have a shot (at the state title)."
Konawaena 3, Hilo 1
Prior to Wednesday's DI championship, Konawaena handled Hilo in four sets to clinch No. 3 overall in BIIF DI -- punching its ticket to the state tournament.
The Wildcats won by scores of 25-14, 25-22, 22-25 and 25-15. They improved to 14-4 on the season, while the Vikings ended 2024 at 14-5.
HHSAA tournament
The 2024 HHSAA DI Girls Volleyball Tournament begins Monday, with KSH, Waiakea and Konawaena clinching berths.
Waiakea will host Kalaheo at 3:30 p.m. Monday in Hilo town, while Kona will fly to O'ahu to take on KS-Kapalama at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
KSH will enjoy a first-round bye as the No. 4 seed, and will play the winner of Mililani vs. Kapolei at 7 p.m. Thursday at Punahou High School on O'ahu.