Fast-starting Punahou rolls past Moanalua

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Interscholastic League of Honolulu rivals Punahou and Kamehameha will meet for the third time tonight, with the Nissan State Girls Volleyball Championship at stake.

Kalani's Tamari Miyashiro slams one of her team-high nine kills as Kamehameha-O'ahu's Anela Iseke attempts to block. Kamehameha won, 25-22, 25-16. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

No. 2 seed Punahou (19-0) earned its spot in the finals by staving off Moanalua, 25-16, 25-23, and unseeded Kamehameha advanced by knocking out previously unbeaten No. 1 seed Kalani, 25-22, 25-16.

Both matches were played before a near-capacity crowd of about 1,500 at Punahou's Hemmeter Field House.

The Buffanblu withstood a late charge on their home court for the second night in a row. After surviving a 29-27 scare from Kahuku in Wednesday's quarterfinal sweep, Punahou cruised to a first-game victory last night. The Buffanblu then built a 21-16 lead in the second game, but the Menehunes (14-3) rallied to tie it at 22-22. After the teams traded points, Punahou outside hitter Aneli Cubi-Otineru slammed two straight kills to end it.

Cubi-Otineru said the Buffanblu wanted to avoid another extra-points struggle like the night before.

"That's what we didn't want to happen," said Cubi-Otineru, who finished with a match-high 14 kills. "We didn't let down; it actually made us fight harder."

Punahou appeared to win the first game almost effortlessly, even after starting setter Pohai Nu'uhiwa left with the score tied 6-6 because of a dislodged contact lens. She sat out the rest of the game, but sophomore outside hitter Kaui Robello took her spot and Tessa Sonobe, Julia Sandborn and Ashley Kim rotated in to pick up the slack.

"Kaui didn't set all tournament, but she stepped it up big time tonight and just ran it," Buffanblu coach Scott Rigg said. "We like Pohai on the court because of the chemistry, but those other players came in and we didn't miss a beat. Everybody held on to the rope. It was a good test for us."

"We have a really bad habit: we always come out flat," Moanalua outside hitter Danie Hout said. "It was like that the whole season, and we still haven't learned."

The Menehunes led 10-7 in the second game before Cubi-Otineru sparked a 10-1 run, and then Moanalua fought back to tie it 23-23, helped by Hout's three kills and a block.

Hout led the O'ahu Interscholastic Association runner-up Menehunes with eight kills.

• Kamehameha-O'ahu def. Kalani: Kristen Ponce had nine kills and Mounia Nihipali six to lead the ILH runner-up Warriors past the OIA champion Falcons (15-1).

Kalani had closed the first-game score to 22-21, but Anuhea Friel had two kills in the final three points for Kamehameha.

Friel, a 6-foot senior middle blocker, then had a block and a kill to start the second game as the Warriors jumped to an 8-1 lead. She had three more kills and another block as Kamehameha pushed the lead to 17-9.

"Our whole team has worked really hard, and we're finally starting to play together," Friel said.

Tamari Miyashiro led Kalani with nine kills.

• Kahuku def. St. Joseph: St. Joseph rallied from a 16-22 deficit to tie the game at 23 but could not hold on as the Red Raiders outlasted the No. 3-seeded Cardinals, 25-23, 22-25, 25-23, in a rematch of last year's championship game.

Kahuku's Mona Ale had 14 kills and 12 digs, and Camilla Ah Hoy added 11 kills. Musie Olevao led the Red Raiders with three blocks.

Jazmin Paakaula had a match-high 21 kills and hit .464 with 11 digs and Lindsey Lee added 13 kills for the Big Island Interscholastic Federation champions.

• Roosevelt def. Seabury Hall: Kristen Tanabe had 10 digs and two aces to lead the Rough Riders past the No. 4-seeded Spartans, 25-18, 25-16.

Lecca Roberts had a match-high 13 kills and Kiani Spangler had six digs for Seabury.

• Kaua'i def. Kamehameha-Maui: Farren Higley had a match-high nine kills and Anna Cuibilan had 10 digs as the Red Raiders eliminated the Warriors, 25-17, 25-21, in the consolation bracket.

Kamehameha's Puni Krueger had six kills and Cassie Friel had six digs.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.