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The Maui News 2021 MIL Girls Volleyball All-Stars

Naipo, Rilveria earn top honors

By Robert Collias 6 min read

Ariana Naipo is really just beginning her high school volleyball career. Ki'i Rilveria is done with hers, but she is working hard on a college opportunity.

Naipo, Baldwin High School's freshman outside hitter and opposite, and Rilveria, Seabury Hall's senior libero, are the choices of the Maui Interscholastic League coaches as The Maui News MIL Division I and II Players of the Year, respectively.

Naipo recently turned 15 years old and currently stands 5-foot-8 1/2. She started playing for Baldwin coaches Al and Sheryl Paschoal as a youngster and then again as a seventh grader with Hawaiian Style Volleyball Club, after a two-year move to Portland, Ore.

"It just makes me excited that I was chosen because I feel like there's a lot of hard workers on every single team," Naipo said. "There's a lot of good players and I'm just grateful that I got it. I mean, I did work hard, but everyone else around me did, too."

Naipo is joined on the MIL D-I first team by Baldwin teammates Lilinoe Paschoal and Kaysha Tanaka; Kamehameha Maui's Hiilei Fuqua; Maui High's Teiva Miller; and Lahainaluna's Kalolaine Pasikala and Hailey Killett.

Naipo and Paschoal are freshmen, while Tanaka is a senior. Baldwin has two second-team selections in junior Faith Alvior and senior Daesha Soares, and Naipo's twin sister Amanda is an honorable mention selection.

The Bears finished 14-0 in MIL play -- second-place Kamehameha Maui was 7-7.

"It was really fun because it was a good group of girls, we all clicked really fast, especially the freshmen because we all played club together and we were all super close before, so that really helped when we were playing in high school," Ariana Naipo said. "And plus the seniors and juniors, they're really amazing, super fun. Our team was just really fun to play together."

The MIL D-I Coach of the Year is Al Paschoal, who returns a solid, young nucleus that includes his daughter Lilinoe, the Bears' setter.

"Fantastic, that's kind of something we always talk to the girls about. ... The seniors being robbed of a lot of experience because of COVID, which was unfortunate, but it kind of puts everybody in a small pot and who is going to end up stepping up?" Al Paschoal said. "It took some of the pressure off ... and (Ariana Naipo) not only found her niche, she was a major contributor, a huge reason why we finished the season the way we did.

"She's a six-rotation player, she can pass, she can dig, she can put the ball away as we can see. She's a blocker. Her volleyball I.Q. is very high for her age, most definitely."

Rilveria moved to Tennessee the day after Christmas to join the club her brother C.J. Rilveria is a coach for. Ki'i Rilveria is taking Seabury Hall classes online while she plays and develops across the country while hoping to draw college coaches' attention.

"I'm definitely surprised," Rilveria said of the MIL POY award. "I would say like it was sort of a mini-goal for me to get D-II Player of the Year and I think someone who has always helped me pursue that is Ella Connor from last year. After she got it (in 2019) I think I just made it a goal for me to get it as well because she's such a great player. And she has always pushed me to get better, along with coach Brian (Connor) and the rest of the Seabury Hall coaches throughout my four years at Seabury Hall.

"It's always just been a small goal ever since freshman year making honorable mention. Getting D-II Player of the Year, I'm really grateful for it."

Rilveria is joined on the MIL Division II first team by Spartans teammates Malia Bennett and Skylar Conley; Molokai's Lia-Chae Meyer, Jordyn McCutcheon and Sadie Aiana; and Pumehana Helekahi of Hana.

Aiana is a junior, the rest of the D-II first team are seniors.

Rilveria is living with her brother, a former MIL All-Star and standout at NAIA power Lourdes University who is now a professional for the Texas Tyrants. He is 10 years older than Ki'i, but he is helping her get to the next level in many ways.

The pair team together to coach a 14-year-old team for the Alliance Club that they work with. Ki'i Rilveria is set to return to Maui in April.

"Although I don't want to really admit it in front of him, I definitely am grateful and thankful for him," Ki'i Rilveria said. "I feel like spending this time with him is huge, especially since I'm older, since he went off to college when I was young and he wasn't really there.

"This is sort of this time, this period where he is making his time for me. I definitely feel like we've gotten closer."

Brian Connor, who guided the Spartans to a fourth straight MIL D-II title, is the MIL D-II Coach of the Year.

"That's great, she has worked so hard," Connor said of Rilveria's POY award. "It's not an easy award to win as a libero. Liberos have sometimes a thankless job. They just work hard and work harder and work even harder to get the first touch right, get that first pass there so that we can run an offense, get a solid dig up there and she knows how to do that.

"She's been around the sport for a while, all of her family plays. She just lives it and breathes it and then is always looking for more and more."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

2021 MIL Girls Volleyball All-Stars

Division I Second Team

Faith Alvior Baldwin Outside hitter/opposite Junior

Daesha Soares Baldwin Setter/defensive specialist Senior

Haven De Silva Kamehameha Maui Middle blocker Freshman

Jaqui Brandon Kamehameha Maui Outside hitter Senior

Kelina Kaaihue King Kekaulike Opposite hitter Senior

Kealoilani DeNisi Maui High Middle blocker Junior

Amber Donnelly Maui High Defensive specialist Senior

Division II Second Team

Tyra-Li Perry Hana Outside hitter. Senior

Pristine Perry Hana Setter Junior

Paige Suyat-Santos Lanai Setter Senior

Anela Kahihikolo Lanai Outside hitter Senior

Daisci Burrows Molokai Setter Junior

Caelyn Hasegawa Seabury Hall Outside hitter Junior

Kekua Richards Seabury Hall Middle blocker Junior

Honorable Mention

DIVISION I--Baldwin: Amanda Naipo; Kamehameha Maui: Mahie Dean, Leimana Purdy, Makamae Kaili-Kramer, Kaena Cervantes; King Kekaulike: Haylee Mahealani Lundberg, Leila Andrews, Tea Domingo, Jayla-Grace Fernandez; Lahainaluna: Malika Viela.

DIVISION II--Hana: Briseis Keaulana; Lanai: Katrina Olter; Maui Prep: Avery Kirkham; Molokai: Piimoku Victorino; St. Anthony: Maria King; Seabury Hall: Caroline Belew.

Starting at /week.