KEAAU » Kamehameha’s journey seems to be getting easier as it goes.
The Warriors, who needed four sets to overcome Kahuku’s emotion in the quarterfinals, swept Moanalua 25-18, 25-22, 25-19 in the semifinals of the New City Nissan/HHSAA girls volleyball championships at Kamehameha-Hawaii.
The Warriors will play in the Division I state championship match for the 11th straight year. They have six titles in that span, but have not won it in two years.
"We are just happy to move on," Kamehameha coach Chris Blake said. "Any time you make it into this part of the state championship the teams are going to be tough and you just have to be happy you moved on."
Kamehameha worked the ball to its middle blockers immediately, getting three early kills from Kealani Browne and two from Kayla Afoa for an 11-6 lead. Moanalua fought back to 14-13, but the Warriors exploded on an 8-2 run fueled by their back-row defense. Moanalua finally succumbed in the set on a net violation. Kamehameha’s middles had 10 of its 13 kills in the set while holding Moanalua’s middles to two kills.
"We see the middle as one of our better plays," Kamehameha coach Chris Blake said. "We were able to establish it and we were able to control our first pass and make that happen."
Kamehameha, which has lost only to Punahou this season, showed off its end game in the second set when it turned a 20-all tie into a 25-22 win thanks to two kills by Tiyana Hallums, an ace by Faith Maafala and a game-winning tip shot over the defense by Alohi Robins-Hardy. But all of that started in the middle, where Kamehameha knew it could pick up points when it needed to.
"We try to work on that every day at practice at home and before the games," Robins-Hardy said. "We want to connect with our middles and it was definitely working today."
Moanalua took a 1-0 lead in the third but Kamehameha led the rest of the way, running the margin as high as seven points. Hallums led the way in that set with seven kills, including the game-winner off the block.
Silerolia Gaogao led Moanalua with 13 kills and Johanna Kruize added 11. Hallums led Kamehameha with 11 kills and seven different Warriors put away points.
"We had some struggles throughout the match," Robins-Hardy said. "But we came together and overcame them. Tomorrow is going to be a good match."
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NEW CITY NISSAN / HHSAA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Division I
THURSDAY
At Keaau
Consolation final
Hilo def. Farrington, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13
Fifth-place bracket
Kahuku def. Kamehameha-Maui, 25-22, 25-15
Kamehameha-Hawaii def. Aiea, 25-21, 25-18
At Kamehameha-Hawaii
Semifinals
Kamehameha def. Moanalua, 25-18, 25-22, 25-19
Punahou def. Mililani 25-10, 25-12, 25-8
TODAY
At Kamehameha-Hawaii
Fifth place
Kahuku vs. KS-Hawaii, 3:30 p.m.
Third place
Mililani vs. Moanalua, 5 p.m.
Championship
Punahou vs. Kamehameha, 7 p.m.
DIVISION II
THURSDAY
At Kaimuki
Consolation final
Kalaheo def. Pahoa, 26-27, 25-23, 15-12
Fifth-place bracket
University def. Radford, 25-23, 25-19
Seabury Hall def. Roosevelt, 25-23, 25-14
At McKinley
Semifinals
Hawaii Prep def. St. Francis 25-18, 25-20, 25-20
Konawaena def. Waimea 25-20, 25-19, 25-23
TODAY
At McKinley
Fifth place
University vs. Seabury, 3:30 p.m.
Third place
St. Francis vs. Waimea, 5 p.m.
Championship
Hawaii Prep vs. Konawaena, 7 p.m.
