The Campbell Sabers won their first O'ahu Interscholastic Association boys volleyball title in the first year of the White Division, defeating Kaimuki, 25-21, 25-23, last night at McKinley High gym.

"I feel blessed," Campbell coach Shane Duhon said. "I have 11 players on the 19-player roster, and five of the seven starters, who are first-year players in the program.

"The most important thing is teaching them life skills and to be better stewards and students. This is the icing on the cake."

Four teams — Campbell, Kaimuki, Nanakuli and Kahuku — earned the OIA's Division II state tournament berths.

As the OIA champion, Campbell will receive the league's top seed and likely a first-round bye in next week's HHSAA state tournament.

"It feels crazy," said junior outside hitter Zachary Manuel, who is in his first year of volleyball. "We just kept fighting, and trusting our coaches and put it out on the court."

The teams traded points early in Game 1, but with Campbell senior libero Scott Cayabyab serving with a 14-11 lead, the Sabers opened an 18-11 cushion behind his three service aces.

Campbell extended its lead to 21-13, but the Bulldogs went on a 7-2 run and closed to 23-20 on a service ace by freshman middle blocker Charley Tauanuu.

A kill down the line by Manuel ended the game.

"I told (setter Randy Kalauli) to get it up there and I'm going to go get it," Manuel said. "It was very important. We knew if we won the first one, it would put the pressure on them. They would have to win the second one."

It was a different beginning in Game 2, when the Sabers took a 12-5 lead with the aid of seven Bulldog hitting errors.

Kaimuki chipped away at its deficit, closing to 16-12 on a Desmond Tautofi service ace before the Sabers opened a 23-16 cushion capped by a double block from senior middle blocker Lopa Lesa and Kalauli.

"We just had to settle down," Manuel said. "We were thinking too much about hitting 25 instead of what was happening right now."

Tautofi made it interesting with three straight kills after two Campbell errors to pull the Bulldogs to 23-21. A Manuel kill, a Campbell hitting error, and a kill by Kaimuki's Tauanuu made it 24-23. Lesa's kill ended the match.

"It was pressure, straight pressure," Kalauli said. "My head was pounding. All we had to do was get one point and we did it."

Kalauli set an even offense, with all of his hitters tallying at least four kills. Guiliano Stevenson had a team-high six. Tautofi had a match-high nine kills for the Bulldogs.