Undefeated
Season Caps Molten's
18-Vee for Victory
The Molten 18-Vee team dominated the 18 club division
all season long and stayed undefeated as they won the 18-club division
with
a victory over the Native Adrenalin team from Northern Arizona on
May 7th.
Coach Venese Hiapo left the decision of her team
to which division they wanted to play in at the season's start. "They
didn't
know their full potential, and I did. And it was their choice to
play in the Club division."
During the season, Hiapo took her team to Hawaii
for a couple of tournaments and some scrimmages. The team doesn't
play on Sundays forcing Hiapo and her staff into some creative scheduling.
"After their trip to Hawaii for nine days, they learned quite a bit
and
they took off from there. It gave them a lot of experience and they
came back and were different people."
Molten's win propelled them to the additional
Open (Region Championships) tournament draw held May 14th. The team
won their pool and cross pool before losing in the Gold division
and
eventually
finishing
6th in the Region. "We were fortunate to have a lot of good
girls who just wanted to play so team oriented." Hiapo brags. "So
it was easier to teach them skills, they wanted to learn and get
better."
But the sub plot was even more interesting. Hiapo
also coached the boys High school team at Highland. She drove to
Glendale to coach the Molten girls in their pool, and then headed
to Brophy Prep to coach her boys in the State 5A semifinals. She
came back to Kingdom Courts for her Molten girl's afternoon
bracket, but in show of unity, the team voted to forfeit the 5 th/6
th place match to watch their fellow east side Highland boys win
the State title.
Hiapo's coaching success is all about effort. "You
work hard and put in a lot extra time than what ordinary coaches
would put in. I'm lucky that the coaches I have with me have
coached with me longer than 10 years. Having the same philosophy
or the same mind frame of thinking helps quite a bit."
Fittingly, Hiapo sums up her season with coaching
fundamentals. "You've
just got to love volleyball and I do. And you transfer that love
to the kids."
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