Talia Soliai-Tui and Lamona Lauhingoa each recorded 10 kills as second-seeded Kahuku swept Kamehameha 29-27, 25-19, 25-21 to advance to the Division I final of the HHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championships.
Kahuku is the first OIA team to play in the state final since capturing the state title in 2002. The ILH has claimed every crown since then. Interestingly, the setter on that 2002 Kahuku team was Lesina (Funaki) Manutai, the current Lady Raiders head coach.
“That was a crazy week. We were in Hilo. We didn’t have a home crowd. Being there forced us to come together,” Manutai recalled. “Our outside hitter was Tuli, Tuli Peters.” Tuli Peters-Tevaga later coached at Kahuku, and now her former teammate has guided the Lady Raiders to the state final.
This match marked the second meeting of the season between the two squads. On August 23, Kahuku swept Kamehameha 25-12, 25-22 in the gold bracket final of the Hawaii Invitational at Kekuhaupio Gymnasium.
“The first time we played them everyone was one. We struggled a little bit this game, but I think we’re ready now,” said Soliai-Tui, a 5-foot-11 junior. “Our bench is a bunch of dogs. They’re always ready. We can do a lot better. This game wasn’t our best game.”
Kahuku will face top-seeded ‘Iolani in the 7 p.m. final today at the University of Hawaii’s Bankoh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.
“‘Iolani is good, but underdogs have to eat. Always,” Soliai-Tui added.
Kamehameha’s young squad has shown significant development since preseason, but Kahuku was prepared.
“They played really good defense. They scramble things. We got a lot of balls over and we didn’t necessarily take advantage of our opportunities,” Kamehameha coach Chris Blake said. “But a lot of that is because Kahuku put us into bad spots and we didn’t execute.”
OIA champion Kahuku (30-2) showcased a balanced attack once again. Makamae Schilling contributed eight kills and 13 digs, while Haley Kotobalavu added five kills. Ana Kaufusi recorded four kills and 2.5 blocks, and Elenoa Lauhingoa chipped in three kills. Setter Tilauana Tonga dished out 22 assists and added seven digs.
“Our plan was, they have really good outside hitters, so we wanted to slow them down, get some balls up and run our offense. And serve tough, get a strong start and finish strong,” Manutai explained. “I’m super proud of the kids for executing tonight.”
ILH runner-up Kamehameha (33-10), the two-time defending state champion, entered the last two tournaments unseeded as they did this year. However, Kahuku dominated with chemistry, experience, precision, and power.
Freshman Sauimoana Purcell led Kamehameha with 13 kills, while senior Kalaweloilehua Chock added 12. Kalamaku Crabbe contributed six kills and six digs, and middles Bella Amey and Kealoha Lyons chipped in four kills each. Setter Shaye Teves dished 21 assists, with Alayah Wilson adding 15 assists. Mikela Arellano led defensively with 13 digs. The Warriors hit .134 as a team against Kahuku’s stout defense.
“Hat’s off to the Kahuku team and their coaching staff. They played like the OIA champions that they are,” coach Blake acknowledged. “They definitely deserve this win. I’m very proud of our team, but hat’s off to Kahuku in all the things they have done in preparation. Good luck to them in the finals.”
The opening set was a back-and-forth battle, ending with Kahuku leading the match 1-0. It marked the first set lost by Kamehameha in a non-championship match over the past three state tournaments. The Warriors had swept their first three opponents in both 2023 and 2024, as well as Kapolei in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
After decisively taking the first two sets, Kahuku saw Kamehameha seize control in the third. The Warriors’ seven-point lead began to slip away just as Kahuku fans arrived—many coming from their football team’s OIA semifinal win over Campbell at Mililani High School to the Moanalua gym.
Key kills by Elenoa Lauhingoa and Lamona Lauhingoa brought the Lady Raiders within one point. Talia Soliai-Tui then tied the score at 17 with an ace. A tip kill by Lamona Lauhingoa gave Kahuku an 18-17 lead, and the Lady Raiders never looked back. Kahuku finished off the match with a roof block by Soliai-Tui and a right-side kill by Haley Kotobalavu.
Kahuku and ‘Iolani did not meet in preseason.
“We’re excited to see them for the first time in the state championship game. They looked really good here against Moanalua,” Manutai said. “Same game plan. They’ve got big outsides, a lot of big guns. If we can slow them down and run our offense, I think we have a chance.”
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### Division II
**Seabury Hall 3, Maryknoll 0**
Milaniakai Padilla drilled 18 kills, hitting .326, while Dillon McLeelan added 14 kills as the third-seeded Spartans of Maui swept the ILH’s Maryknoll 26-24, 25-22, 28-26 in the semifinals of the HHSAA Girls Volleyball Division II State Championships at Kalani High School. Both Padilla and McLeelan are sophomores.
The Spartans will face Kapaa in the state final at 5 p.m. today in Bankoh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.
**Kapaa 3, University 0**
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