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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, May 8, 2009

Wai'anae, Roosevelt play again

Photo gallery: Thursday's OIA volleyball playoffs

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Wai'anae's Sauniatu Loua, right, hit the tape on a kill attempt against the solo block of Roosevelt's Aaron Mochizuki in last night's match.

REBECCA BREYER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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It will take one more match to determine the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red Division boys volleyball champion.

Defending champion Wai'anae defeated previously undefeated Roosevelt, 17-25, 25-21, 30-32, 26-24, 15-12, last night at McKinley High School gym to force a playoff for the championship in the double elimination tournament.

"We just thought we had to even it up. Roosevelt is an awesome team, but this time we out did them," said Wai'anae senior outside hitter Anthony Robinson, who had a match-high 30 kills.

The teams play tomorrow at 10 a.m. at McKinley. Roosevelt beat Wai'anae earlier in the week, sending the Seariders to the loser's bracket. Wai'anae beat Mililani in four sets Wednesday to play in last night's match. If Roosevelt won last night, it would have been the OIA champion.

"It's the most intense game they ever played," Wai'anae coach Fulton Dela Cruz said. "This kind of intensity is unreal. I live for this."

Along with Roosevelt and Wai'anae, third-place Mililani, fourth-place Leilehua and fifth-place Pearl City round out the OIA's five berths in the state tournament.

Roosevelt junior setter Joby Ramos set a balanced attack for the Rough Riders in the first set, with all of his hitters getting at least one kill, and junior outside hitter Kainoa Mitchell leading the way with six. It led to a comfortable margin throughout the first set, with the Rough Riders leading by as much as 18-11 and 21-14.

Wai'anae started set 2 with a 6-1 run and maintained that cushion until Roosevelt made it interesting after a five-point run to close to 19-18. But the Seariders held the Rough Riders off, scoring four of the last five points and inducing a lift call on Roosevelt to win the set.

A bit of controversy marked set 3 when it appeared Roosevelt won at 28-26 on a service ace by Ramos. But the official ruled it out, tying the set at 27 instead. Down 30-29, Roosevelt scored three straight on a kill by senior outside hitter Aris Wong and two by senior outside hitter Kenneth Rewick to win the set. Rewick had 11 kills in the set and 25 for the match.

It was close all the way through the fourth set, with six ties, including 24-all. Robinson's back-to-back kills won the set for the Seariders.

Robinson took over in the fifth set, tallying eight kills.

"I was just demanding sets," he said. "We can't just let this win stop us, we have to keep thinking highly and do it again," Robinson said.

Mitchell and Wong had 15 and 14 kills, respectively, for the Rough Riders. Senior setter/outside hitter Desmond Dela Cruz and senior outside hitter Aaron Fogatu had 10 kills apiece for the Seariders.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.