Kamehameha-Maui became the first Valley Isle girls volleyball team to advance to the state semifinals since Seabury Hall in 2002 last night, after rallying past Moanalua, 28-26, 14-25, 25-22, 17-25, 15-12, before a vocal crowd of about 500 at Kamehameha-O'ahu's Kekuhaupi'o Gym.

The No. 4 seed and Maui Interscholastic League champion Warriors improved to 14-0 in the regular and postseason and will face No. 1 seed and three-time defending state champ Kamehameha-O'ahu (18-2) in tonight's 7 o'clock semifinal at Kekuhaupi'o.

"This feels amazing," said Kamehameha-Maui senior middle blocker Teilissa Tua, who had 10 kills and a match-high seven blocks. "It feels surreal; I don't think it's even hit me yet."

After a convincing fourth-set victory, the O'ahu Interscholastic Association runner-up Na Menehune (13-6) took a 7-4 lead in the fifth set. But Kamehameha-Maui tied it at 7-7 after kills by Cymbree DeCosta and Ginger Long and Whitney Santos' block.

Tua then made a solo block to break a 10-10 tie, and after Sage DeCosta's kill through a block, Tua had a kill off a quick middle set and then another block to make it 14-10.

Moanalua closed to 14-12 after Lahela Kaili-Laroya's kill and a lift call at the end of a long rally, but the next Na Menehune kill attempt landed just beyond the baseline, setting off a Warriors celebration.

"I told the girls this can be a defining moment for the program, and it is," Kamehameha-Maui coach "Bala" Spencer said. "Our girls really wanted this win, and I think that's what carried us through the last game."

The Warriors also won the first set in thrilling fashion, letting game point slip away twice before it finally ended after a tip kill by Tua and a Moanalua kill attempt that went into the net.

"We definitely missed our chances in the first game," Na Menehune coach Tommy Lake said.

Moanalua broke away from an 11-11 tie with a 10-1 run in the second set to win going away, but Kamehameha-Maui rebounded to grab the third set.

Na Menehune came back to win the fourth set handily, but the Warriors responded with four blocks for points in the fifth set. Long finished with 14 kills and four blocks, and Santos added 13 kills. Kaili-Laroya and Kaylee Ponce led Na Menehune with 14 kills each.

KAMEHAMEHA SWEEPS

Taylor Akana had 13 kills and Caitlin Andrade added 11 digs to lead Kamehameha-O'ahu past Farrington, 25-16, 26-24, 25-9, at Kekuhaupi'o.

Farrington led the second set 23-21, but Alex Akana had a kill and Taylor Akana followed with two kills to put Kamehameha up 24-23. Junitta Fonoti tied it again with a kill through the block, but Taylor Akana answered with a shot down the right side and then ended it on a back row spike.

"Farrington is such a physical team, and give them credit because they had no fear and fought hard," Warriors coach Chris Blake said.

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