LAHAINA — Two matches into its season, the Seabury Hall boys volleyball team looks polished and in control.

The Spartans defeated Lahainaluna 25-3, 25-15, 25-11 yesterday, and improved to 2-0.

''I thought we played well tonight,'' Seabury Hall coach Caleb Palmer said to The Maui News. ''We had a lot of guys serve really well for us and I think when you serve well, it can take the other teams out of what they want to do and put us into what we want to do.

''It was a nice, focused effort tonight — our guys played well.''

The Spartans' Holden Awong had six aces, and finished with 18 assists. Connor Snow had a team-high nine kills and Eric Snow contributed four solo blocks.

Lahainaluna (0-1) struggled to find its pace, and fell behind 19-0 in the first game.

The Lunas looked less rattled and more competitive in the second game. Lahainaluna fell behind 15-4, but scored six unanswered points.

''The second and third game, they felt more comfortable and we told them, 'Just have fun,' '' said Lahainaluna coach Tommy Akima, whose roster contains two returnees and, he said, nine players who have never competed in the sport before.

''I don't expect the guys to come in and beat them — it would be good, but just do your best and have fun.''

Awong contributed a kill to make the score 23-15 before Snow set up game point with one of his own. A faulty serve by the Lunas ended the game.

Lahainaluna managed to score against Seabury Hall earlier in each game, starting the third game down 3-1 thanks to a kill by Bryson Williams.

The game also held some amusement. Seabury Hall went up 5-2 after a kill attempt by the Lunas ricocheted off Dylan Hamilton and back over the net.

Hamilton, one of seven sophomores on Seabury Hall's roster, also recorded a kill on the next point and then an ace, giving his team a little more breathing room.

''We have a bunch of super sophomores that have some good experience for sophomores,'' Palmer said. ''With the exception of Holden, I think they're all new sophomores (to the team).''

Later, the Lunas' Lake Casco set the ball over the net using his head — getting a laugh, if not a point.

''I told him, 'You're the first guy I've ever seen set with his head,' '' Akima said.

Although spring break did mean a few players were missing, moving the season to the spring isn't a bad thing, according to Palmer.

''It's good because they get a chance to play volleyball before the season starts. … When we used to start in the fall, the kids would be gone all summer,'' he said. ''I'm really excited about the three-out-of-five (matches) because you get a lot of volleyball and the kids get a lot of experience, so that's nice.

''Being the first year in spring, it's just a lot of adjustments.''

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