For some odd reason, the Hilo boys volleyball team likes to keep playing and playing.

It stresses out the Vikings coaching staff, but Hilo has learned to own those extended matches.

Kaulana Kalauli-Rowe had 28 kills, and Andrew Welsh had 12 kills and seven blocks to help second-seeded Hilo outlast No. 3 Seabury Hall, 25-22, 21-25, 17-25, 25-15, 15-13, in last night's semifinals of the New City Nissan/Hawai'i High School Athletic Association Division II State Championships at Kalani.

The win set up a Hilo-Hawai'i Baptist rematch in today's 5 p.m. championship match at McKinley. Hawai'i Baptist advanced by beating No. 4 Moanalua, 25-18, 25-15, 28-26, at Farrington.

Hawai'i Baptist swept Hilo in last year's championship match and the teams split during the preseason.

"We told the boys we've been in this five-set predicament five times this season and we owned the fifth set, we owned it," Hilo coach Shane Harvest said. "It's something we always pulled through. Their spirit ... they like to prolong the game, they like to play a lot."

Hilo (15-1) also needed five sets to outlast Pahoa in Thursday's semifinal.

"We played as a team and we came out firing," Kalauli-Rowe said. "Ho, man, we had to play with heart, we had to bring heart again. These guys were taller than us and we had to run quicks."

Rocky DeLyon and Josh Chapple had 12 kills each, and Mark Walker had 11 for the Spartans (10-2)

"It's definitely hard, obviously you're here, you're here to play and feel you can win and get to that point," Seabury Hall coach Caleb Palmer said.

In Set 5, Hilo led 7-3 after Welsh's solo block. The Spartans closed to 9-7 on DeLyon's kill, but Kalauli-Rowe pushed the ball over the net for a kill, and set the ball over for another kill to extend the lead to 11-7.

Kalauli-Rowe had two more kills to make it 13-10. Walker's kill in the middle cut it to 13-11, but Chapple hit long to give Hilo match point.

Welsh was called for a net violation to help Seabury Hall close to 14-12. After a Hilo timeout, Welsh buried a kill on the left to finish the match.

"We're a coaching staff that likes to strategize," Harvest said. "We're not a physical coaching staff, but strategy works for us and we work as one team, one family."

Two Seabury Hall errors gave Hilo a 16-13 lead in Set 4. Welsh had two kills and two aces, and Kalauli-Rowe had three kills to help the Vikings close out Set 4.

Tied at 14 in Set 3, Hilo committed seven errors to help Seabury Hall pull away.

Seabury Hall led 22-13 in Set 2 before Hilo made a big charge. Two kills from Siaki Moana Faleta and a kill by Welsh helped Hilo close to 23-19. DeLyon's kill put the Spartans at set point, but another Welsh kill and DeLyon's hitting error made it 24-21. Dylan Hamilton's kill ended Set 2.

Hilo rallied from a 21-19 deficit to take Set 1.

HBA SWEEPS

Ryan Leung had 24 kills and Braden Kaneshiro had 10 to lead top-seeded Hawai'i Baptist (18-1) to a 25-18, 25-10, 28-26 semifinal victory over No. 4 Moanalua at Farrington.

Justin Oka had 13 digs and Chris Matsui added 12 in the win.

Shane Aquino had eight kills and seven digs for Moanalua (12-4).

CONSOLATION

PAHOA DEF. WAIPAHU, 25-13, 25-18

Waipahu kill/dig leaders: Anthony Agustin Iyama Kira Faatafa, Regan Prestidge and Duketoa Tili 3 kills. Tili 3 digs. Pahoa: Isaiah Ekau 15 kills 3 digs, Jonathan Viernes 4 kills.

WAIMEA DEF. KOHALA, 25-23, 19-25, 18-16

Waimea kill/dig leaders: Keaka Canute 13 kills, David Kauhelaulii 8 kills, David Hesapene 9 digs, Quinn Gonsalves and Jared Matsumoto 8 digs. Kohala: Ulana Sylva 9 kills, Jeffery Medeiros and Kelson Kawai 8 kills, Brandon Bautista and Ahia Gutierres 7 digs.