Honolulu, HI
The nationally ranked no.18 and No. 1 hawai'i ranked reigning state champions, ‘Iolani Raiders, opened ILH play with a statement sweeping No. 4 Punahou Buff-N-Blue in three sets. After a long preseason for the Raiders, the level of competition that they faced was for moments like these where they would face a difficult rival. The Lady Buffs looked to get back into the postseason and their first step was to take down the reigning state champs.
The match started with a battle in the first set as both teams traded points throughout each set. Punahou pushed the Raiders all the way to extra points, but ‘Iolani eventually pulled away to win the opening set 29–27. After the close first set, ‘Iolani settled in and took control of the match. The Raiders won the second set 25–19 before finishing off the Buffanblu with a 25–16 victory in the third.
The sweep was far from an easy opening to ILH play for ‘Iolani. Punahou, ranked fourth in the state, made the Raiders work for every point early, especially in the opening set. ‘Iolani was able to stay composed in the biggest moments and avoid giving Punahou a chance to take control.
'Iolani Junior S/opp, Taimane Ainu‘u, and sophomore S/DS, Lexi Kawakami, combined for 35 assists in the victory, helping keep the Raiders offense moving throughout the match.
The win also came just days after ‘Iolani finished second at the Ann Kang Invitational, where the Raiders went up against some of the top teams in the country and fell short to nationally ranked no.1 powerhouse, Sierra Canyon Trailblazers in the championship match.
The strong start to ILH play showed that Punahou would not be an easy road for the Raiders despite their national ranking and early-season success. With the 3–0 win, ‘Iolani started its ILH season on a high note and continues to establish itself as one of the top teams in in the nation.
Final Score: 'Iolani 3 - Punahou 0
29-27 I 25-19 I 25 - 16
For more pictures, head over to our photo gallery
pictures taken by: Pakela Wheeler - @pakela._
