The O'ahu Interscholastic Association girls volleyball races finally ended Thursday night, fittingly with a fight to the finish.

Kahuku held off Roosevelt, 25-17, 26-24, to win the Red Conference Eastern Division championship at McKinley's Student Council Gym. Earlier, 'Aiea clinched the West's No. 1 seed for the upcoming league playoffs with a 25-17, 25-15 victory at Nanakuli.

But as the ultra competitive regular season proved, the OIA tournament title should be up for grabs.

"It was a battle," Kahuku coach Mona Ah-Hoy said of the Red East schedule. "Whoever shows up ready (in the playoffs) pretty much will take it, because just like the regular season, you cannot have an off night."

After an upset loss at Moanalua on Tuesday night, the Red Raiders (11-1) showed up ready against Roosevelt and never trailed in the first game. The Rough Riders (10-2) got as close as 13-12, but Kahuku ran off six straight points behind the serving of sophomore Leilani Tafuna.

Roosevelt rebounded in the second game and built a 15-11 lead, but the Red Raiders again went on a 6-0 run and never trailed again.

"Kahuku is a great team, they're tough," Roosevelt coach Bryan Camello said. "I told our girls they're going to make a run, and they did."

The Rough Riders stuck around, however, tying it at 21, 23 and 24 before Kahuku finally ended it with two kills by Camilla Ah-Hoy. That set off a celebration more fitting of a postseason match.

"Some of us took (the Moanalua loss) hard, so we were looking forward to this match," said Ah-Hoy, who finished with a match-high 10 kills and added two blocks and an ace. "We were pumped up."

Even so, her coach/mother warned the team in between games not to think the second game would be as easy as the first.

"I told them to expect Roosevelt to come back," Mona Ah-Hoy said. "They had a lot of errors serving the ball in the first game and I said if they cut down on that in the second game, watch out. They kept everything alive in the second game."

Brandi Pupuhi had four kills and a block in the second game to boost the Rough Riders, who lost at Kahuku, 25-21, 25-18, three weeks ago.

"We played much better tonight; I'm really proud of the girls," Camello said. "Unfortunately some balls didn't go our way and the score didn't come out the way we wanted. But in my book, we played like winners."

Camello and Mona Ah-Hoy said the new OIA regular-season format — with power-based classifications — has improved the overall level of play and should lead to an exciting league playoffs.

"In the entire OIA, there's no real dominant team," Camello said. "There was no easy game (in the regular season), every week was tough, so it makes the kids focus on every game. It'll be a fun tournament. The coaches will have to have their teams ready every night."

Ah-Hoy, who also has coached girls basketball at Kahuku, said the rugged regular season might pay off down the road. In addition to the Moanalua loss, the Red Raiders were extended to three games in four other matches en route to the East crown.

"I like this (format)," she said. "We saw it in (girls) basketball and football, and we waited for them to do it in volleyball. I think it'll help us in the playoffs."

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.