Kadena barely makes it to final day, then rolls to victory

TOKYO — Misha Heard and Kadena’s girls volleyball team on Saturday accomplished something never done before in program history: win the title in the American School In Japan YUJO Tournament.

It was even more dramatic after the Panthers barely made the eight-team playoff cut after going 2-2 in pool play.

On the heels of losing to two-time reigning Far East Division II champion Christian Academy Japan in Thursday’s last pool match, the Panthers on Friday morning fell in three sets to host ASIJ’s B team, then trailed Yokota by one set Friday afternoon.

“After that (set), we all had a talk about the most important things, the energy and the confidence we had in each other and ourselves,” said Heard, who was named Player of the Tournament after Kadena beat Seisen International 25-20, 25-9 in Saturday’s final.

“We all have the skill, but we were putting a lot of pressure on ourselves,” Heard said.

From that point against Yokota onward, Kadena didn’t drop a set over the next four matches, including the championship. The Panthers rallied to beat Yokota, then host ASIJ’s A team in the quarterfinal, then Nile C. Kinnick in the semifinal before topping Seisen in the final.

“After we beat ASIJ, it finally clicked,” Heard said. “We came together as a team and we started having fun.”

Heard recorded 30 assists and 16 digs in the championship, spreading the spiking wealth among four experienced hitters: junior Genesis Afaisen (9 kills), senior Leighton Botes (8), senior Rylee Gilliland (5) and junior Samantha Kehe (6).

The Panthers had 67 digs as a team in two sets that lasted just over 45 minutes. Botes had 14 digs, Kehe 13 and Ilana McCoy 11 for Kadena.

“We have a dynamic team,” Panthers coach Matt Morales said. “We let everybody get involved, everybody stays consistent, everybody trusts each other, everybody plays together. If somebody has an off game, that’s where other players step up.”

The championship victory was good redemption for Botes, Kehe and Afaisen, who were part of a Panthers team that finished second in the YUJO tournament two years ago, and came in second in last year’s Far East Division I Tournament.

The boys tournament also saw a first-time winner: St. Johnsbury Academy of Cheju Island in South Korea. The Hilltoppers overcame a first-set defeat against ASIJ – and a very vocal home crowd – and rallied to win the second and third sets 25-21 and 15-11.

The YUJO served as an important tune-up for Kinnick, Yokota, Zama, Kadena and Kubasaki for the upcoming Far East D-I and D-II tournaments Oct. 15-17, the D-I at Humphreys and D-II at Robert D. Edgren. Kubasaki is the reigning D-I tournament champion.

Kadena's volleyball team celebrates their school first YUJO tournament title. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kadena's Misha Heard was named girls Player of the Tournament. She had 30 assists and 16 digs in the championship match. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Seisen's Hanna Argueta spikes against Kadena's Ilona McCoy and Leighton Botes. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kadena's Genesis Afaisen hits against Seisen's Saki Tanaka and Neha Samanvita. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)