First volleyball championship trophy culminates memorable fall sports season
The 2025 boys' volleyball team accomplished a historic feat for KCS on October 4, winning the school's first volleyball championship since the start of its high school program in 2012. During the HSF postseason tournament weekend, a loyal and energetic crowd of alumni, students, family, friends, and staff enjoyed two exciting games of high-level volleyball, cheering the team along with every point.
Entering the tournament as the #3 seed with an 8-4 record, KCS played Friendship Christian School in Friday's semifinal matchup. Utilizing a productive week of practice to make strategic adjustments for the postseason, the boys overcame three regular-season losses to Friendship to win in straight sets, 25-20, 25-13. This set up a rematch of last year's championship game, as KCS faced Calvary Chapel Christian School, the 5-time reigning champs. Driven by the desire to redeem last year's loss, the team made key defensive plays and ran a balanced offense to finally claim the championship title, 20-25, 25-22, 18-16.
Reflecting on their journey to first place, co-captain Tytus Ahn '26 says he is most proud of their team chemistry this year, stating, "My teammates [are] like another family to me." The team's reliance on one another and their ability to look out for each other carried them through a rollercoaster third set on Saturday. As KCS faced Calvary serving for the game, Tytus credits staying mentally strong and maintaining the mindset of making every point count as the keys to overcoming the deficit. The team elevated their play to win the final few points, thus sealing their legacy in KCS history.
Congratulations again to our boys' team and coaches Dr. Kwong and Zachary Kao '22 for a memorable season, highlighted by home games at Kilauea District Park, a K-12th grade pep rally, Senior Night, and our very own KCS hype song.
Volleyball teams make history this season
The HSF volleyball teams took fans on an exciting ride this fall, with comeback victories and close wins, resulting in the best overall performances since KCS joined the Hawaii Sports Fellowship (HSF) league in 2012. This year, KCS competes in the East division of the newly expanded eight-member league.
Finishing the regular season at 6-4, the girls' team entered the post-season tournament as the #4 seed. Last Thursday and Saturday, they dropped their two tournament games, ending a successful season of strong performances by upperclassmen and younger players gaining valuable game experience. For Elisha Kurian '25, her season was highlighted by celebrating with her younger teammates after they made key plays. These plays "encouraged [her] to play better and want to win for the team."
The boys' team earned the #1 seed in tournament play with an impressive 9-1 record, which included going undefeated until the last game of the regular season. On Saturday afternoon, KCS played in a championship game for the first time, facing Calvary Chapel Christian School in their home gym. Despite rallying from deficits in both sets, KCS lost the match 19-25, 20-25. Nevertheless, the boys bring home the second-place trophy and groundbreaking moments from which to build in future seasons. Nicholas Kao '25 highlights the group huddle cheer during the final game as his memorable moment. In reflecting on the season, he also shares, "We all grew not just as a team, but as a family."
Coaches Dr. Kwong, Zachary Kao '22, and Curren Kong '22 guided the teams throughout the season. Dr. Kwong acknowledges that players who have been a part of the KCS program for multiple years and players gaining outside club experience contributed to the success of this year's teams. He also credits the parent support of the athletes. The senior leadership of Nicholas Kao, Elisha Kurian, Kamryn Nguyen, Terra Shinbo, and Sean Yuen will be missed next year!