The Baldwin Bears got all they could handle from Na Ali'i, but came away with a 25-27, 25-12, 25-19 win that clinched a state tournament berth in their Division I semifinal.

''King Kekaulike came out firing,'' Baldwin coach Kauila Houpo said to The Maui News. ''They were a lot better than what they were at the beginning of the season. They played tough. My girls had to really dig deep and play their best game today.''

The Bears (7-4) earned a berth against Kamehameha-Maui (9-2) in tonight's championship match in the Maui Interscholastic League Division I tournament. King Kekaulike's season and the careers of seven seniors are over after a 4-7 season.

The first game was a nail-biter with 15 ties, the last at 25-25. King Kekaulike, which rallied from a 24-21 deficit, won the game on an ace from Tabatha Yuen.

In the second game, the Bears jumped out quickly to a 15-5 lead and then upped it to 19-5 on four aces in a row by Tupusa Satele.

Satele finished the night with five kills and eight aces on her serve.

''It was really exciting having eight aces,'' she said. ''I have never served that well. We knew we would have to play well tonight and in the end, we did.''

The Bears found themselves in another battle in the third game.

Na Ali'i took the lead six times in the game — the last at 16-15 — but could not find the finishing punch.

''We didn't play scared to lose,'' King Kekaulike coach Kaipo Thomas said. ''We were hungry to win, but the ball landed on our side of the net too many times. I thought we played one of our best games this year.''

Kathy Satele had eight kills for the Bears, while Iesha Leota added six. Setter Liz Laskovics was all over the court with 19 assists, two blocks, two aces and four kills.

Na Ali'i was led by five kills apiece from Kalia Yasak and Yuen.

''The last match of the season is always tough, but especially when you have to say goodbye to seven seniors, which is half of my team,'' Thomas said.

For the Bears, the assignment now gets tougher against Kamehameha-Maui on its home court.

''I think the girls were a little scared in the first game, bright lights and all that,'' Houpo said. ''I think tomorrow night there will be a little less pressure knowing we are going to state, but we still want to win.''

KAMEHAMEHA-MAUI 2, MAUI 0: The Warriors stopped a two-match losing streak behind the dominant play of senior front-line force Dreanne Shaw in a 25-19, 25-13 victory.

Shaw had 19 kills and Cymbree DeCosta had 21 assists to lead the Division I regular-season champions, who had already clinched a state berth.

A win today over Baldwin would give the Warriors their fourth straight MIL Division I crown.

Maui (3-9) finished its season with three seniors leading the way. Mandy Madrid had 17 kills, Kristy Inamasu had 16 digs and Joelle Walsh had 24 assists.

MOLOKA'I 2, ST. ANTHONY O: The Molokai High School girls volleyball team came into its Maui Interscholastic League Division II tournament semifinal with one thing in mind — clinching a state tournament berth.

Mark that mission accomplished, in convincing fashion in front of about 300 people at the Kamehameha-Maui gym.

The second-seeded Farmers (10-1) rolled past St. Anthony (6-6) 25-11, 25-17 to gain a spot in the MIL tournament final tonight against regular-season champion Seabury Hall, ranked fifth in the Advertiser's poll.

Kelsy Takashima led the way with 12 kills and Vaoia Seumalo added nine for the Farmers. Danna-Lynn Hooper controlled the offense with 32 assists, while Hilary Chow and Kalei Adolpho took care of the defense with four blocks apiece.

''Absolutely, we had to take care of business tonight,'' Moloka'i coach Matt Helm said. ''We weren't looking any further than this evening because St. Anthony is a well-coached team. They wanted to be the spoilers just like we were last year, so we knew they were going to come out hard. We knew we couldn't take them lightly.''

By virtue of being no worse than second place in the regular season and the tournament behind Seabury Hall, Moloka'i knows it will be going back to the state tournament on O'ahu. The Farmers finished sixth last season, losing for the third time in 2006 to the Spartans in the state's fifth-place match.

Helm said his team is looking forward to the Seabury Hall match between the two winners from the MIL regular season where all Division I and II teams face each other once.

The Farmers lost to the Spartans in four games earlier this month in the only MIL match where the Spartans dropped a game.

''Definitely, we are looking forward to it,'' Helm said. ''We know it is going to be fun. We are going to enjoy it.''

Seumalo, one of four seniors on Moloka'i, said it is a relief to have their ticket to state punched.

''We have been working hard together and a lot of what we worked on we accomplished in the game, so it paid off,'' Seumalo said.

''Team-wise we just came together today. It is prime time now.''

Like her coach, Seumalo agreed that the match against Seabury will be big.

''I think our aggressiveness will be there,'' she said. ''We just have to come out full force tomorrow.''

The Trojans finished their first non-losing season in MIL play that coach Albert Paschoal could remember.

They fell behind 14-5 and 22-10 in the first game and 21-10 in the second before closing to within 23-17.

''Moloka'i is a tough team,'' Paschoal said. ''They have a couple of real tough outsides, the setter is phenomenal, and they have Adolpho in the middle. She is 6-foot-3, but sometimes she plays like she is 6-10. She has arms forever and it is hard to defend. They are a very good ballhandling team that can terminate.''

Paschoal was pleased with the play of his young team that said goodbye to four seniors, including libero Rosie-Lani Ruff, who had several spectacular digs in her last prep match.

''I am very, very proud of my girls,'' Paschoal said. ''I don't know for sure, but I don't know if St. Anthony has ever had a nonlosing season. It may not be a winning season, but it is our first non-losing season.''

SEABURY HALL 2, HANA 0: The Spartans (11-0), ranked fifth in the Advertiser's poll, had a relatively easy time against the Dragons in a 25-11, 25-15 win.

Twins sisters Kaipo and Kaimi Rocha led the way with six and five kills, respectively. Kaimi Rocha also had an assist and seven digs, while her sister added an ace and five digs.

Yacine Meyer had three kills, four aces and three digs for the winners. Keana Cramer had nine assists and Anuhea Rilveria had seven.

Maui Interscholastic League

Girls volleyball tournaments

At Kamehameha-Maui

Division I

Semifinals

Yesterday—Kamehameha-Maui def. Maui 25-19, 25-13. Baldwin def. King Kekaulike 25-27, 25-12, 25-19.

Championship

Today—Kamehameha-Maui (9-2) vs. Baldwin (7-4), 5:30 p.m.

Overall championship

Tomorrow—Kamehameha-Maui vs. Baldwin, 5:30 p.m. (only if Baldwin wins on Friday).

Division II

Semifinals

Yesterday—Seabury Hall def. Hana 25-11, 25-15. Moloka'i def. St. Anthony 25-11, 25-17.

Championship

Today—Seabury Hall (11-0) vs. Moloka'i (10-1), 7:30 p.m.

Overall championship