For one set, second-ranked Punahou played perhaps its best volleyball of the season.
Then, No. 1 Kamehameha seized control for a 19-25, 25-16, 25-12, 25-14 win to claim the ILH playoff tournament and the league championship on Thursday night at Kekuhaupio Gymnasium.
Kama Goldstein led the Warriors (27-4) with 13 kills, while Adrianna Arquette tallied 12 kills, 11 digs, two blocks and two aces. Kamehameha will have a bye through the first round of the New City Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championships. The Warriors will play in the quarterfinal round on Nov. 8.
“I’m proud. The idea of Punahou doing everything that we’re doing, our fourth time playing them in a row, came out firing. They had different personnel in different positions,” Kamehameha coach Chris Blake said. “We saw Lulu (Uluave) at libero in the ‘Iolani game the other day. They came with heart and, for us, having to settle down and weather the storm, I’m proud of the girls. Proud of their resilience.”
Punahou (27-5) had already clinched a berth in the state tournament after ousting defending state champion ‘Iolani on Saturday. Haumea Marumoto led the Buffanblu with 14 kills, while Kealohalani Cox added 10. The Buffanblu had a bit of a different look again with the versatile Uluave at libero and Cox in a bigger role as a hitter.
“Kamehameha played well. I mean, that’s a good team out there,” Punahou coach Tita Ahuna said. “We got complacent and we didn’t execute our game plan in the second, third and fourth sets. Haumea is a great player, but we need all six on the court to win. Hopefully, when it counts, we’re going to get all six firing at the same time.”
Rella Binney had 31 assists, 11 digs and one kill for the Buffanblu. Punahou will begin play in the state tournament on Nov. 6.
Kamehameha had the poise of a champion.
“Punahou’s a really competitive team. Both teams had good defense tonight. It came down to execution,” Arquette said. “Haumea is a strong attacker. Just being able to get touches on her balls really helped our defense and Emma (Lilo, the Warriors’ setter) was able to run the offense.”
Kamehameha’s balance and depth were crucial once again. Lilo dished 40 assists, adding six digs, four kills and four of her team’s nine aces. Tia Kapihe and Alohalani Chun had nine kills each for the Warriors in the middle. Ashli Lum hustled for 15 digs and Kalaweloilehua Chock was a big factor with 10 kills
“I feel really good. This team has been grinding it out all season,” Chock said. “Our defense and passing, it’s a team thing. It’s a key and it’s on our white board.”
Chun is aware of the Warriors crowd and its enthusiasm.
“I think our energy on the court and the energy from the bench just fires up the whole gym. It brings energy to everyone,” she said.
“Our team is really talented. We have a lot of talented hitters,” Kapihe said. “We definitely worked on our block at practice all season. It’s been slowly coming together, but thanks to our coaches, it’s getting better.”
When the passing and setting clicked, the Warriors were unstoppable. The home crowd was especially electric about kills by Chun and Kapihe.
The big crowd also got excited about Kamehameha’s roof work. Once the Warriors brought a steady double block on Marumoto in set three, Punahou was unable to regain momentum. Marumoto had 10 kills in the first two games, then had no kills on 17 swings in the third set.
“We have two weeks. It’s good time to rest up, just rethink what we need to do out there. Watch some film and improve every single day,” Ahuna said.
Kamehameha opened with a 5-1 lead, but Punahou whittled away.
Marumoto began to heat up before the midway point of Set 1. She finished with five kills in 11 swings while Punahou pulled away. The game was tied four times, including 15-all, before the Buffanblu benefited from Marumoto’s surgical placement of kills and Kamehameha’s hitting errors.
The Warriors piled up eight hitting errors in Set 1 (.128). Punahou hit .357.
The Warriors opened Set 2 with a 6-1 lead. This time, it stuck. Chun delivered six kills, Kamehameha had just four hitting errors and evened the match at 1-all.
Kamehameha dominated Set 3, then jumped to an 8-4 lead in Set 4 after an ace by Arquette. It was a runaway after that.
This was the fifth matchup between the two programs this season. On Sept. 8, Punahou edged Kamehameha 16-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-22, 15-13 at Hemmeter Fieldhouse. On Oct. 5, Kamehameha handed Punahou its first regular-season loss 19-25, 26-24, 25-19, 25-22.
The Warriors beat the Buffanblu on Oct. 11, 25-21, 25-23, 25-21, and in tourney action on Oct. 17, 25-16, 19-25, 25-22, 25-17. The last four matches were at Kekuhaupio Gym.
