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Set for success

Championship setters Paschoal, Hasegawa earn MIL POY honors

By Robert Collias 6 min read

The Maui News 2022 MIL Girls Volleyball All-Stars

Lilinoe Paschoal and Caelyn Hasegawa have a few things in common on the volleyball court.

Both setters run high-powered offenses for Maui Interscholastic League championship teams.

Paschoal, a Baldwin High School sophomore, and Hasegawa, a Seabury Hall senior, are the choices of the league's coaches as The Maui News MIL Players of the Year, in Divisions I and II, respectively.

Both have an eye on college volleyball and each were also a bit surprised when told they had gained the POY honors.

"I actually started crying, I was just so happy because all the hard work that me and my team put in paid off," Paschoal said.

Paschoal knows Hasegawa only slightly, but she was impressed after an exhibition match with the Spartans this season.

"I don't really remember her that well, but we scrimmaged against her and she was a very good player," Paschoal said.

Paschoal is joined on the D-I first team by Baldwin teammates Ariana Naipo, Amanda Naipo and Natronai Anana -- the Naipo sisters are twins and both outside hitters, Anana is a libero, and all of them are sophomores.

Kamehameha Maui outside hitters Hiilei Fuqua, a senior, and Archer Fabrao, a freshman, and Maui High's Kiera Sam Fong, a freshman outside hitter, round out the first team.

Paschoal was intrigued by two setters winning the player of the year honors.

"It's amazing, you know, because usually the hitters or other positions get the player of the year, so the setters getting it is wonderful in my opinion," Paschoal said.

Paschoal not only runs the Bears' offense, she and her young teammates are joined on Hawaiian Style Volleyball Club by several other MIL All-Stars and will be busy this offseason.

Of course, there are two more years of strong promise for the Bears, who lose only one senior in Faith Alvior, an honorable mention selection.

"Oh, I'm so looking forward to it, I mean those girls are basically my sisters," Paschoal said. "It feels good that we have much more to come."

Paschoal's father Al Paschoal is the MIL D-I Coach of the Year.

The veteran volleyball mentor said there is a special path that has to be traveled with the tricky mix of father/coach, especially with a player as driven as his daughter.

"That's always tough, right? You've got to know when to take off the coaching hat and put on the dad hat or vice versa," Al Paschoal said. "At home, if we do have the conversations that are volleyball-related we try to come from more of a supportive-parent side because it is and can get blurry, the lines.

"So, I try to be more of a supportive (parent), how can we address, what do you want to get better at? And kind of find ways that we can look at solving those issues. ... So, it's tough, I'm not going to lie, it's not easy."

Sheryl Paschoal, Lili's mom, is an assistant coach for the Bears and is a former MIL Player of the Year as a setter at Maui High and two-time NAIA national champion at BYU-Hawaii.

"We talk about it quite often, she's practically my setting coach," Lili Paschoal said of discussing her position with her mom. "So, we talk about it all the time -- basically my whole family helps me out with that, my brothers, everyone."

Hasegawa is from Hana and is a member of the family that owns and runs Hasegawa General Store.

Hasegawa was contacted by Kaimana Brummel, a Spartans assistant coach and former MIL POY at the school herself, prior to Hasegawa learning that she had won the MIL D-II POY honors. Hasegawa is hopeful of playing college volleyball and is currently out for the Seabury Hall soccer team for the first time.

"Coach Kaimana called me when I was getting ready for (soccer) practice, she's like, 'Come meet me,' and I was really scared because I thought I was in trouble," Hasegawa said. "But then she called me and she told me that I was nominated. I'm very thankful for it, it really is a pleasure, I wasn't expecting it at all."

Hasegawa is joined on the MIL D-II first team by Seabury Hall teammates Kekua Richards, a 6-foot-7 frontline player who is headed to Colorado State on a volleyball scholarship, and Makalani Carey; Lanai's Miyah Vila and Keala Montgomery; Hana's Pristine Perry; and Maui Prep's Avery Kirkham.

Like Paschoal was with her, Hasegawa was impressed with her fellow MIL POY.

"I think she's an amazing setter," Hasegawa said of Paschoal. "She has great ball control, great decisions, she sees the court very, very well. She also has great passers and, man, those two outsides on Baldwin, they are amazing. The lib(ero) goes crazy. That team is just really gifted and young."

Hasegawa will never forget her senior year with the Spartans despite falling short of their stated goal of winning a state title.

"Oh man, it was so, so fun," she said. "We walked into this year as an opportunity to win states, and although we did not get close, we grew so much as a team and it was the best team I could have ever asked for.

"We supported each other in and out of bad plays, good plays. We just had beautiful team chemistry. It's really been one of the most positive experiences of my volleyball career."

Lanai's Ross Morita is the choice of his peers as MIL D-II Coach of the Year after guiding the Pine Lasses to the state tournament for the first time since they won the single-level MIL in 1999.

He has worked with the current group of Lanai seniors since prior to their freshman season.

"Just working with them has been amazing," Morita said. "From when they started their high school careers to now, I've gotten to watch them grow in the sport and then grow as student-athletes and as young adults. They had their ups and downs, but I loved every single moment of it."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

Division I Second Team

Kamy-Ann Kamai King Kekaulike OH/Setter Junior

Haven De Silva Kamehameha Maui Middle blocker Sophomore

Mahie Dean Kamehameha Maui Outside hitter Senior

Emmi-Lin Felten Kamehameha Maui Setter Junior

Haylee Pruse Kamehameha Maui Setter Junior

Kealohilani Denisi Maui High Middle blocker Senior

Kuulei Manaois Baldwin MB/Opposite Sophomore

Division II Second Team

Sofia Connor Seabury Hall OH/MB Junior

Souina Seiuli Lanai Outside hitter Senior

Lauren Brown Maui Prep Outside hitter Sophomore

Briseis Keaulana Hana DS/OH Senior

Koali-Kay Kimokeo-Helekahi Hana Outside hitter Sophomore

Arianna Helekahi Hana Outside hitter Junior

Mercedes Winicki Seabury Hall Libero Senior

Honorable Mention

DIVISION I--Baldwin: Faith Alvior; King Kekaulike: Lahela Pond, Melia Adams; Lahainaluna: Malika Viela; Maui High: Sharon Sigrah.

DIVISION II--Haleakala Waldorf: Camille Placer-Sokolowski, Lynzee Borchers; Hana: J-Lah Sinenci, Sky Boeche, Iolana Kaupe; Lanai: Rainalyn Medriano, Talia Agliam; Molokai: Arieana Quintua-Hanaoka, Pii Victorino, Kailana McGuire-Guerrero; St. Anthony: Riana Hoopii, Rayna Hoopii; Seabury Hall: Caroline Belew.

Starting at /week.