Makua Marumoto (center left) Faaope Laloulu (center right) celebrates a set point in their last hurrah together on the way to winning back-to-back state titles. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Saint Francis may not look like your typical championship team, but this group comprised of diverse athletic backgrounds gelled at the right time.

With a new year and new squad, Saints' coach Dandi Holder and her staff incorporated and developed a new cast of characters and it resulted in their second consecutive volleyball state championship.

The only losses the Saints suffered in the season was to University Lab in Interscholastic League of Honolulu play. However, Saint Francis rebounded to beat the Junior Bows to capture the ILH championship and took the top seed in the tournament.

The Saints would march through the state tournament with a sweep of OIA runner up Nanakuli and posted four-set wins over Seabury Hall and second-seeded Kapaa for the ultimate prize.

"Honestly, earlier in the season we were a two dimensional team with me and Luke (Lucas). As the season progressed, our middles developed, Kordel (Ng) developed and we became so much more than team with two really good guys. We became a team and when we play together, it's so much more successful than just me and Luke," outside hitter Makua Marumoto said.

Biondi and Marumoto, who can both unleash a vicious swings, averaged averaged 16.3 and 14.6 kills respectively in the state tournament.

Although the Saints relied on the two-headed attack of Biondi and Marumoto, the supporting cast backed them up and held it down.

Setter Jesus Garcia, one of three seniors on the team, played facilitator and averaged 35.6 assists in the three tournament games. He also provided guidance, leadership, and made sure the right people touched the ball.

Walter Berthold, a returnee from last year's title team, put down three service aces for the match and it came at a critical time for the Saints as it took a 20-19 lead and forcing Kapaa to call timeout.

Other multi-sport athletes decided to come out for the final season and these new faces made plays in the title game when the Saints needed them most.

Kameron Ng, the Division I All-Hawaii Boys Basketball Player of the Year, lended his competitive spirit to dig up seven balls in the title game. His brother, Kordel, who played football and basketball, showcased his athleticism and leaping abilities on several kill and block attempts. CJ Guerrero, who also played basketball, provided length and blocking abilities.

"They're players and gamers, basically," Holder said of her converted volleyball players. "Before we stepped out on the court, Kordel (Ng) tells me, ‘This is what I'm for. I come out here and I love it!'"

Offensive lineman Faaope Laloulu, best known for his 6-foot-7 frame and blocking defensive linemen, was a big difference in the middle. Literally. In the championship game against the Warriors, he landed one of his three kills to end set three and had two solo blocks and assisted on three more. He even kept reminding the team to stay in the moment.

"Even Ope (Faaope) said, ‘We have to focus, do it for the fans, do it for the coaches. Each point we make is for them. Play for them,'" Holder said as the Saints pulled away in the fourth set.

Saint Francis had a more laid back approach in their warm ups compared to their counterparts, but it was a style that never changed throughout the season.

"A lot of people would look at us and think we look unconventional. When they look at our warmups, they're like, ‘What are they doing?' But that's just our style. That's us and we go with it," Holder said.

"I think all year long we had a laid back vibe because we want to be remembered as a team that just had fun with it. We had guys like CJ (Guerrero), Kam (Ng), Kordel (Ng) they're basketball guys, Faaope, he's a football guy. If we're going to go out there to win, we have to have some fun too," Marumoto said.

The moment was bittersweet since it would be the last time this group will ever take the court together.

"We always tell them, our main thing is family. All you have at the end of the day is family. We all see each other as a family overall. When you have that atmosphere, it all comes together," Holder said.

The weight of the school closing and the uncertainty that followed hung over the Saint Francis community for several months. Despite all that, the players and coaches only focused on what they could control and that was to have fun, cherish every moment, and make their school proud one last time.