Last month Kamehameha/Hawaii HI made its way to the mainland for the Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas, where the Warriors finished a respectable 19th overall. The Warriors made another trip east and spent the past week in San Diego facing off against local schools before participating in the So Cal Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Alliant University. Capping off a great week, Kamehameha didn’t drop a set on its way to capturing the tournament title, which featured defeating Lake Stevens WA, 25-17, 25-13, in the final.
Leading up to the two-day event, Kamehameha picked up victories over Eastlake, San Marcos and Sage Creek before sweeping its way to victory over the weekend. The semifinals featured three out-of-state teams. Joining Kamehameha and Lake Stevens was Coronado NV, which came in as the top seed after finishing 22nd overall at Durango. Del Norte was the fourth team in the semis, losing to the eventual champs.
The tournament provided a stage for athletes to set it off. Below, we feature the players who drew our attention the most with our Show Stoppers.
SHOW STOPPERS
Sarah Schubert SR OH Kamehameha HI – Part of the reason the Warriors overcome their limited size is the play of Schubert. She’s a strong attacker who hits hard and puts pressure on defenses to make plays.
Maela Honma JR OH Kamehameha HI – Honma is a solid six-rotation outside whose steadiness and consistency the Warriors rely on. She’s used both front and back row and does well with her placement.
Leisey Kelii SR L Kamehameha HI – The Warriors defense can frustrate opponents with Kelii leading the charge in the back row. Her passing is on target and she does well extending rallies too.
Mackenzie Parsons JR MB Poway CA – Parsons is a weapon in the middle. She has a big arm and is tough attacker to stop with her scoring prowess.
Laura Eichert FR OH Lake Stevens WA – Eichert is one of the key components of the attack. She’s an aggressive hitter who challenges blocks and keeps coming at defenses.
Hayli Tri SR MB Lake Stevens WA – The Vikings will get Tri involved when they can so defenses need to stay with her. She has a good arm and is a reliable option when in system.
Isabella Christensen SR OH Lake Stevens WA – A lanky outside, Christensen is a handful for opponents. She has nice range and did well finding the open spaces on the court.
Abigail Paulson JR RS Coronado NV – Paulson packs a punch. She’s a physical attacker with a strong arm. She’s one of the featured hitters and is someone the Cougars can go to in a tight spot.
Mia Arambula SR L Coronado NV – An energetic libero, Arambula is a scrapper. She showed consistent passing out of serve receive and defended with a fury.
Jillian Neal SR OH Del Norte CA – A strong, hard-hitting outside Neal is the centerpiece of the Nighthawks’ offense. She hits a heavy ball and can overpower opponents at times.
Nia Thompson SO OH Westview CA – Thompson is a six-rotation player who contributes on both sides of the ball. She’s a smart hitter who uses off speed shots well in addition to being a strong passer.
Avery Banaag SR L Eastlake CA – Banaag brings a defensive spirit to the lineup. Her passing out of serve receive is on point and she makes her share of hustle plays as well.
Ava Poinsett SO OH Francis Parker CA – The Lancers have a big-time scorer in Poinsett. She can make life rough on defenses with the multiple ways she can punish them with.
Madison Triplett JR OH El Capitan CA – Triplett is an explosive hitter who though a bit undersized can crush it. Her ability to tool blocks or bang it down makes it difficult on defenses to slow her down.
Madelyn Wutzke SO OH El Capitan CA – The 6-0 sophomore is the other half of a dangerous outside tandem. Her swing is smooth and she delivers with lots of pace.
Savannah Simpson SO MB El Capitan CA – A 6-0 middle, Simpson is definitely an option and someone the Vaqueros will utilize when in system. She has a nice arm and can finish plays off.
Kenna Cogill SO MB Perry AZ – At 6-4, Cogill is a disrupter in the middle for the Pumas. She hits for a high percentage and can really hurt teams with smaller middle blockers.
Lily Cammack SR L Oviedo FL – Cammack held down the back row with her hustle and energy. She tracked down balls and gave her team another shot.
Anna Cathcart SO OH Oviedo FL – Cathcart comes with plenty of upside. She’s a 6-2 outside who is capable of going over blocks and putting balls away.
Paige Wisneski JR S Oviedo FL – Wisneski has nice hands and delivers a hittable ball. She was also moving the ball around well.
Charlotte Nowak FR RS JSerra CA – Nowak may be an underclassman but she helps liven up the attack with what she brings to it. She’s a reliable target who is one of the team’s more consistent scorers.
Reese Brown JR OH JSerra CA – The Lions have options and Brown is one of them. She does well adding to the attack with a variety of shots.
Tatum Johnson JR MB JSerra CA – Johnson provides plenty of offense for the Lions. She has a good arm and can get after it so defenses must be ready when the Lions are in system.
Maylynn Mitchell SO OH Santiago CA – Mitchell is a physical hitter who can makes defenders feel it when she catches one. She’s capable of carrying the offense at times and is a key piece of the attack for the Sharks.
Marlee Arrington JR RS Ontario Christian CA – Arrington was one of the most explosive attackers in the field. She’s an athletic right side who jumps well, swings hard and can produce loud kills.
