Molten Warriors go to battle

Volleyball club hopes to finish in top six in national tournament

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By KEVIN STOTT

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After finishing 13th in their age group last year in the USA Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships, the players on the Molten Warriors Volleyball Club of Las Vegas 18-and-under team were confident of a higher finish at this year's tournament.

The annual boys' tourney, which opened July 5 and concludes tomorrow is being played for the first time at the Minneapolis Convention center in Minneapolis and features elite volleyball clubs from around the nation.

Playing in the Junior Olympic Championships for a fourth straight year, the Molten Warriors, coached by Joe Kauliakamoa Sr., have improved a little bit every year and feel this trip should be their best yet.

"The team has qualified for the Junior Olympics for four years now," Kauliakamoa said. "This year we're looking for at least a top six finish."

Trying to get a talented group of players from different high schools who have just finished their school year to play well together takes a little time, but Kauliakamoa knows where his team's strengths and weaknesses lie.

"For the boys, the biggest thing we're going to work on is being more consistent," he said. "We have a lot of work to do on defense. Offensively, we have the weapons."

One of those weapons is outside hitter Steven Tew, a recent graduate of Cimarron-Memorial High School who played in the prestigious tournament last year in Louisville, Ky.

"It was pretty sweet just being there and being around the best competition in the country and playing in all those different cities," said Tew, who said he is planning on walking onto the Brigham Young University team this fall. "The coach said 'Get hold of me in the fall and come work out with us and if there's an open spot then it's yours to take.' "

Another outside hitter who traveled to Louisville last year is Scott Rice, a recent Bonanza graduate who has received a couple of offers from small colleges but is still waiting for the right fit.

Rice said his experience in the tourney last year was enjoyable.

"Last year we did fairly well. The first day we didn't do that great but we got better each day," Rice said. "I got a lot better as a player and I had a lot of fun so I thought it was definitely worth it."

Rice said playing club volleyball in Las Vegas is really the only way to see how good you really are.

"I don't think a person from Las Vegas can come out of high school, or at least it would be really hard in my opinion, to play in college," Rice said. "You have to play club, too. You can't just play high school because the competition is just not as good as club."

The middle blocker position is also a strength of the Molten Warriors as Bonanza graduate Cameron Hyer and Cimarron graduate Steven Tatum provide a formidable presence at the net.

Hyer, who also will head to BYU in the fall and then to Chile to serve a two-year mission for his church, said the Molten Warrior Volleyball Club experience has turned him into a complete player.

"When I came here I could kind of block. It's one of the smallest aspects of the game," Hyer said. "And in four years of being a starter I'm now comfortable with everything from passing to setting to hitting to blocking to jump-setting and everything. In four years I'm now totally comfortable with every position on the court."

Asked how much Kauliakamoa helped him evolve on the court, Hyer couldn't help but bust out a big smile.

"Joe's the man," Hyer said. "He's awesome. He taught me probably 90 percent of everything I know. The other 10 percent has come from his wife (assistant coach Debbie Kauliakamoa) and Grandpa Hiapo, his wife's dad."

Playing libero for the Molten Warriors after leading Palo Verde to its first state volleyball championship as a setter is D.J. Kanaanaa, the nephew of Kauliakamoa.

The energetic soul of this club team, Kanaanaa said this group of players is extremely tight.

"They're not only my coaches, I live with them," he said. "It's more than a volleyball team, it's like a family. The first thing I learned was to be disciplined. If you're not disciplined, you're not a good player."

Kanaanaa, who is headed to Oakland, Calif.'s Holy Names University in the fall on a partial scholarship, said playing libero will only help him on the next level.

"Playing here just makes me an all-around good player," Kanaanaa said. "In college it's more difficult to set because in high school, I set because of my height and blocking. I'm not second guessing my skills but we have two of the best setters in the state playing for our team."

Those two setters -- who both happen to be entering their senior years in high school this fall -- are Shadow Ridge's Josh Shea and Palo Verde's Joe Kauliakamoa Jr., cousin of Kanaanaa and the coach's son. Both players have been selected to play for USA National teams and round out a talented starting lineup for the club.

Like Kanaanaa, Kauliakamoa,Jr. is playing a different position for the Molten Warriors to increase his versatility on the court.

"It helps because more coaches look for all-around players instead of one that only plays one position," the younger Kauliakamoa said.

The Northwest Division's MVP and a first-team selection on last year's Junior Olympic All-Tournament team, Kauliakamoa said it's tough to play for his dad and can be demanding.

"It's way different than high school because he is a lot harder on me," said Kauliakamoa Jr., who was recently named to Volleyball magazine's "Fab 50" list of the nation's top 50 high school players and also was a Mizuno High School All-American Honorable Mention selection. "I'm his son and he knows what's best for me. It's cool."

Kauliakamoa -- whose older sisters Tamara and Trina, both stars at Palo Verde who now attend Chaminade University in Honolulu, were playing with the boys Junior Olympic team in its first practice on June 20 -- thinks his team will improve in the tourney in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

"This team has a lot more height than last year," he said. "Our defense may be a little off but we'll just have to practice on that. And I think we'll probably do better this year."

Coach Kauliakamoa, also assisted by Dan Smith, said knowing the quality of players on his roster makes his goals for the team somewhat lofty.

"We expect a lot," he said. "We're not here to waste anybody's time."

Providing depth on the bench for the Molten Warriors, which also field girls' Molten Wahine teams, are soon-to-be seniors Kyle Capko (Palo Verde), Elvin Bower (Shadow Ridge), Breydan Burley (Centennial) and Jordan Leach (Centennial).

For more information on the tournament, visit www.usavolleyball.org.