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Warriors open with sweep

Peters helps lead Kamehameha to win over King Kekaulike

Austin Peters of Kamehameha Schools Maui sets in the second set of the Warriors’ 25-10, 25-13, 25-14 victory over King Kekaulike on Friday night at Kaulaheanuiokamoku Gym. -- The Maui News / CHRIS SUGIDONO photo

PUKALANI — As the returning Maui Interscholastic League Division I Player of the Year, Austin Peters has plenty of options to choose from as the setter for the Kamehameha Schools Maui boys volleyball team.

In their MIL season opener Friday night, Peters and the Warriors used weapons old and new to their advantage.

The defending MIL D-I champions followed their unbeaten 15-set run through the Seabury Hall preseason tournament last month with a 25-10, 25-13, 25-14 sweep of King Kekaulike at Kaulaheanui­okamoku Gym.

“There’s a lot of confidence with this team, but I told them right after the Seabury tournament: My freshman year, we came out and won the Seabury tournament that year, and we finished fourth in the MIL,” said Peters, who recorded 20 assists and three aces on Friday. “So we can’t stop there — we have to keep pushing if we want to stay where we are.”

The Warriors ended the night quickly, finishing the first two sets in under 25 minutes apiece and the whole match in 70 minutes.

King Kekaulike’s Bryson Uchima (left) and Kai Carbajal go up to block a shot from Kamehameha Maui’s Tyson Haupu on Friday. -- The Maui News / CHRIS SUGIDONO photo

“We’re getting there. The passing is a little iffy and I could have cleaned up a lot of my sets, but my hitters are dealing with it,” Peters said. “My hitters are doing good and my passers are working as hard as they can. I’m really excited for this year’s team.”

Kamehameha bounced out to a 9-3 lead in the first set. Sheldon Dudoit-Caban, a 6-foot-4 freshman, served back-to-back aces to push the lead to 15-8, Rafael Adolpho won a joust at the net to make it 17-9 and Peters started a 7-0 run to the finish line with a pair of aces.

“Prior to going into the Seabury tournament, we only had three court practices,” Kamehameha Maui coach Robert Brede said. “With the returnees, our system just kind of developed. Everybody just filled in — we have great leaders, Austin, Raf. They pick up this team and take it.”

Basketball players Kamalu Segundo and Kahai Bustillos each saw significant playing time for the Warriors.

“Kahai played last year, that was his first year, and then Malu just came out this year,” said Peters, who is the point guard for the KSM basketball team that qualified for the state tournament last month. “They’re working hard and just having more people, more bigger, taller blockers … we have a bunch of people who can really challenge us at practice.”

The Warriors’ Hinano Long hits against Carbajal. -- The Maui News / CHRIS SUGIDONO photo

An Adolpho block made it 14-6 in the second set, Segundo’s kill made it 16-7 and a Peters dink ended the set.

The Warriors led 8-2 in the third after a Hinano Long kill. Parker Awai’s ace made it 10-2 and a block by Bustillos made it 14-6. Na Alii would not get closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Long finished with eight kills and Ethan James had five for the Warriors.

King Kekaulike (1-1), last year’s MIL runner-up, listed seven freshmen on the roster Friday, four of whom started. Because of winter sports just recently finishing, academic field trips and lack of gym space, Na Alii have only been practicing for a week.

Statistics for King Kekau­like were not available.

“We’ve got a lot of talent, we’ve just got to keep progressing, getting better and better,” King Kekaulike coach Chino Dadez said. “Hats off to them, they’ve got all the pieces. My pieces are starting to come together slowly.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

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MIL STANDINGS

Division I

W L Pct. GB

Lahainaluna 2 0 1.000 —

KS Maui 1 0 1.000 1⁄2

King Kekaulike 1 1 .500 1

Maui High 0 1 .000 1 1⁄2

Baldwin 0 2 .000 2

Division II

W L Pct. GB

Hana 1 0 1.000 —

Molokai 1 0 1.000 —

Lanai 0 1 .000 1

Seabury Hall 0 1 .000 1

Friday’s Results

Kamehameha Maui def. King Kekaulike 25-10, 25-13, 25-14

Lahainaluna def. Baldwin 25-10, 25-22, 25-20

Molokai def. Lanai 25-10, 25-14, 25-15

Hana def. Seabury Hall 31-33, 25-23, 17-25, 25-20, 15-13

Today’s Matches

Hana at Seabury Hall, 10 a.m.

Lanai at Molokai, 10 a.m.

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