The team includes (from left): front — Brittany Treu, Sachiko Soares, Leilani Miranda, Kanoelani Delatori and Riechel Nelson; back row — Coach Hano Ganer, Makenna Stockham, Hannelore Rolfing, Coach Michelle Gordon, Tricia Kama, Jena Dreibilbis and Davelynn Ganer. Kulia Murray, Coach Cody Ganer and Coach Kirk Dreibilbis are not pictured.

LAHAINA — Lahainaluna High School girls volleyball coach Hano Ganer is another one of those easy going island boys who dedicates themselves to the development of upstanding character in our youth through interscholastic sports.

Ganer takes the leadership whistle to the court up at the Jimmie H. Greig Gymnasium on campus for his 11th year at the helm of the Lady Lunas volleyball program this fall.

Assisted by Cody Ganer, Michelle Gordon and Kurt Drebilbis, Coach Hano faces the stern task of molding a very inexperienced group of players — there is but one returnee on the 2009 squad — into a cohesive team.

It will be an uphill battle for the Lady Lunas, who finished third in the Division I Maui Interscholastic League standings and return only sophomore — team co-captain Kulia Murray — to the roster this season.

Senior transfer Jena Drebilbis, who played at Maui Preparatory Academy last year, is the other co-captain and the only upperclassman on the team.

Rounding out the roster are sophomores Leilani Miranda and Riechel Nelson, along with freshmen Kanoelani Delatori, Hannelore Rolfing, Sachiko Soares, Makenna Stockham and Brittany Treu. The team managers are Misty Branco and Alana Malapira.

“We are a very young team, inexperienced and all new, that is struggling to find the right mixtures and combinations to play winning volleyball,” explained Ganer from the gym floor last week.

“The best part about this team is that they have the desire to play and they all want to work to get better.”

Lahainaluna will play a ten-game MIL schedule through Oct. 15, with no championship tournament this year. The Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) State Tournament will be held at the Neil Blaisdell Arena Oct. 28-29.

The LHS junior varsity team will play a similar MIL schedule to the varsity, except with no post-season tournament.    

Coached by Rochelle Lanoza and Tita Uwekoolani, the team is made up of sophomores Samantha Feyen, Chiemi Kaya, Ashley Pula and Amber Welch, along with freshmen Kawehikani Alo-Kaonohi, Ezzra Baccar, Mehana Chang, Shade Liftee, Iomina Maitinnara, Leslie Mina, Taylor Neizman, Lucy Reardon, Mellisa Taketa and Jessica Wallace. Shelby Uwekoolani is the team manager.