OIA Boys Volleyball
Moanalua tops Pearl City in four, advances to OIA finals


Wes Nakama
April 28, 2011, 9:45pm

  

Thu, Apr 28, 2011 @ McKinley [ 6:30 pm ]

Pearl City

1

Moanalua

3

 1   2   3   4   5      
PC (10-11) 16 25 12 14 - 1
MOA (18-1) 25 19 25 25 - 3
Kill: Z. Kagehiro (MOA) 25 kills
Blk: C. Gonzalves (MOA) 2 blk


Richard Harpole had a match-high 25 kills and added two blocks and an ace last night to help Moanalua race past Pearl City, 25-16, 19-25, 25-12, 25-14, in O'ahu Interscholastic Association boys volleyball playoff action at McKinley's Student Council Gym.

Na Menehune improved to 15-0 in league play and earned a chance to win the OIA championship next Thursday at McKinley. The Chargers fell to 8-8 and will face Western Division champ Leilehua (14-2) in a double-elimination bracket match Tuesday at Farrington, with the winner advancing to play Moanalua on Thursday.

Harpole, a 6-foot-3 senior outside hitter, started hot and had 11 kills in the first set as Na Menehune built leads of 11-5, 15-8 and 19-11 before ending it on his kill off a block.

But Pearl City turned the tables in the second set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead and stretching it to 10-4, 12-5 and 17-9 before winning, 25-19.

Moanalua then took control early in Game 3, leading 6-1 out of the gates and quickly building it to 8-2, 11-3, 13-4, 16-5 and 20-8.

"I think that helped build our character, because everybody loses a set at some point, but it's how you come back from that,"Harpole said. "We just went back to basic volleyball and did what we are expected to do. Our expectations are crazy high, so we have to keep pushing on every point."

Na Menehune broke away in Game 4 with a 5-0 run to lead, 13-7, then went on a 6-0 run to stretch it to 22-11.

Chargers coach Stephanie Shigemasa said the crisp serving that helped the Chargers win Game 2 broke down in the third and fourth sets.

"In the second set, we served a lot tougher but then our serve died out," Shigemasa said. "They were coming at us from all angles (after that)."

Joseph Hammond led Pearl City with 11 kills.



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