'AIEA — Na Ali'i ended a long and intense week on top of the West.

Kelly Leopoldo and Mele Samisoni had 16 kills each to help the 'Aiea girls volleyball team defeat Mililani, 26-27, 25-19, 25-23, 25-22, yesterday afternoon in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red West match of unbeaten teams.

After defeating three of the West's tougher opponents this past week in Radford, Pearl City and Mililani, 'Aiea now leads the West standings at 5-0.

"Our girls stayed mentally focused," 'Aiea coach Blythe Yamamoto said. "It was a long week and three major games in five days. They had to mentally prepare for this.

"This is just one step though; every game is one step. By no means this is where we want to be. We're taking it one game at a time."

Mililani, ranked No. 7 in The Advertiser's statewide Top 10 poll of coaches and media, fell to 4-1. Candace Soares had 19 kills to lead the Trojans and Pomai Grube-Hose added eight.

"Next game, shake it off, don't worry about it and come in with a lot of intensity," Soares said.

In the fourth set, Danielle Grace's kill for 'Aiea tied the score at 12. Leopoldo followed with a kill to give 'Aiea the lead, one it managed to hold on to down the stretch.

Samisoni's kill put 'Aiea ahead 23-20, but Mililani's Janine Orosco answered with a kill to make it 23-21. Samisoni had another kill, but 'Aiea was called for four hits on the next play to make it 24-22.

After an 'Aiea timeout, Ashlei Liilii's kill ended the match.

In a tight third set, Mililani went ahead 22-21 on Samisoni's hitting error. But Samisoni followed with a kill to tie it at 22, and successive service aces by Leopoldo made it 24-22, forcing Mililani to call a timeout.

Following the timeout, Leopoldo's serve resulted in a overpass that was put down by Samisoni. But she was whistled for reaching over the net to hit the ball, resulting in a Mililani point.

Mililani's Mariah Choo, who had three service aces in Set 3, then served long to end the set.

"It felt good," Leopoldo said of the third set, one in which she had three key kills down the stretch. "We wanted this win."

Mililani rallied from deficits of 5-0 and 15-11 in Set 1, to take its first lead at 23-22 on Soares' kill out of the backrow. The score was tied at 23, 24 and 25 before Samisoni's kill down the middle put 'Aiea ahead 26-25.

Orosco followed with a kill to tie it at 26, before Soares' kill ended the first set, which played to a cap of 27.

"(We're) working as a team and working on our defense," Soares said.

'Aiea slowly pulled away midway through Set 2. Leopoldo had two kills and Samisoni had two kills and a block to put 'Aiea ahead 19-13.

"We visualized and stayed relaxed," Samisoni said of the win.