Kamehameha is a marked team and they know it.
Star-Bulletin: ILH and OIA girls volleyball previews
I was behind the 8 ball. Normally, by now I've seen a lot of volleyball matches, from the Ann Kang Invitational to the Longy Okimoto to the Kamehameha-Punahou tourney. This year was different. The focus was on football, football photos and previews, and of course, games. I saw one volleyball match in preseason: Kamehameha's title win in the Ann Kang.
Fortunately, there are very good, very generous coaches in our state who are more than happy to share their thoughts and insights. Volleyball coaches are a special breed in Hawaii. Many of them coach year-round and get to know players from many schools since the players congregate to play for clubs. There's no denigration. There's utmost respect no matter where the players go to school. That's what working together at the club level will do. There's a bond.
It's not unique to volleyball. Softball and soccer are rich with relationships that cover the island, across school boundaries. There's a load of value in competition, sometimes too much, but it also brings cohesion across those lines.
For now, though, Kamehameha is the top team in the state, and the upcoming Star-Bulletin Girls Volleyball Top 10 poll will likely reflect this. I hope fans can get out to Kekuhaupio Gym and enjoy something that comes along only once in a while: a true sports dynasty in Hawaii.
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