Ka Makani secures championship victory in nail-biting BIIF volleyball match; Hilo maintains undefeated streak
Rewritten:
Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA) claimed the 2025 Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) Division II Boys Volleyball Championship in a nail-biting, adrenaline-pumping match against second-seeded Parker. Team captain Nicholas Pigotti set the tone for the game with a fiery speech, encouraging his teammates to leave the court battered, exhausted, and hoarse.
Pigotti's fiery words echoed in the gymnasium at Kealakehe High School as HPA and Park battled it out in one of the most exhilarating matches of the season. Neither team won sets consecutively, but HPA managed to snatch the island title in a decisive fifth set. This victory marked HPA's first BIIF title since 2018.
"This one could have gone either way," coach Daena Craven said after the game. "We really didn't know how it was going to end."
The opening set went to HPA with a score of 25-20, but Parker swiftly adjusted and responded with a 25-21 second-set win. Timely blocks and aggressive spike attacks from senior Beaudin Schad fueled Parker's comeback. HPA bounced back with a 25-15 third-set win, but Parker refused to back down - forcing a fifth set by winning the fourth, 25-15.
The final set was a cinematic showdown, with both teams ramping up their defensive intensity as the crowd roared. HPA held a slight lead throughout the set and clinched the win with a score of 16-14.
"We knew coming into this match that they weren't going to hand us the victory," senior Kena Craven shared. "Last time we played them, they had a few players out, and we were at full strength. So we had to fight and compete."
HPA ended the BIIF season with an 11-4 record, but the start of the year wasn't encouraging. At the midway point of the schedule, HPA was 3-4, losing three straight matches to Konawaena and Kealakehe. However, Pigotti and Craven believed things started to click as the season progressed, and once the team began to gel, HPA took off on an eight-match win streak.
"After that third straight loss (to Kealakehe on April 9), we came together as a team and made it a goal not to lose a single match for the rest of the season," Pigotti said. "And we've managed to stay true to that so far."
Ka Makani will enter the state tournament as the No. 5 seed and will face fourth-seeded Radford at 5 p.m. Thursday on Oahu. The team is confident in their ability to make a deep run at the state championship, believing their momentum will carry over if they maintain the same energy and mindset they've held over the past several weeks.
"I want to thank our coach, Auntie Daena...she really puts it all together," Pigotti said. "But if you look at our team, we have the athleticism and players who are skilled at their positions. But for a deep run, we need the energy. When we have it, we dominate. It's going to take 100% energy each game, every time."
While Parker fell shy of the island title, the Bulls will join HPA on Oahu, set to take on No. 1 Le Jardin in the first round at 7 p.m. Thursday at Radford High School. Parker ended their season with a 9-6 overall record, marking a two-win improvement from the previous year.
Immediately following the BIIF DII championship, first-seeded Hilo and No. 1 Konawaena faced off for the Division I title, with Hilo maintaining their undefeated streak by winning in four sets. The Vikings finished the season with an impressive 14-0 record.
While specific details about the teams' regular-season paths were not fully detailed in the accessible reports, the BIIF boys volleyball season, across divisions, showcased dominant performances. Ka Makani's success reflects their consistent competitive edge in the BIIF spring sports lineup, while Parker's advancement to the championship underscores their program's growth.
- Nicholas Pigotti, the captain of Hawaii Preparatory Academy's (HPA) volleyball team, delivered a passionate speech before the BIIF Division II Boys Volleyball Championship match, urging his teammates to play with such intensity that they would exit the court exhausted.
- Pigotti's speech resonated during the interscholastic volleyball practices where the team built its reputation for relentless sportsmanship and competitive spirit, setting them apart as contenders in the volleyball season.
- Following their victory against Parker, HPA has qualified for the state tournament, where they aim to combine their interscholastic volleyball practices, athleticism, and skilled players with the momentum and energy they've cultivated to secure a deep run at the state championship.
