Kamehameha rallies by Punahou

More photos: Kamehameha v. Punahou

Chris Blake and the Kamehameha girls volleyball team have been preaching process for a long time, and now they finally earned something tangible for their efforts.

No. 1 Kamehameha rallied to beat No. 2 Punahou 16-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-5 at Kamehameha on Thursday night for their first ILH title since 2008, breaking the Buffanblu’s four-year run at the top of the state’s most powerful league.

"This is a big deal to us," Blake said. "It’s been a while since we have been here and Punahou has always been tough for us so it is good to win the league after a few years."

The Warriors can talk all they want about little things adding up to big things, but Thursday’s championship wouldn’t have happened if they didn’t have faith.

Senior Faith Ma‘afala came off the bench with her team down 2-0 and made an immediate impact, finishing with 10 kills and dishing out assists on many of Kamehameha’s other points. Ma‘afala has not played much this year after spraining both ankles early in the season but is certainly at full strength now. Blake said her positive demeanor on the court was as important as her play.

"I’ve been waiting so long for this," Ma‘afala said. "It has honestly been killing me seeing my team out there going at it and I can’t do anything about it. It felt so good to be there for my team."

Even with Ma‘afala leading the way, the Warriors needed every last player to overcome the Buffablu. Punahou led the fourth set 21-17 but couldn’t close it out. The Warriors rolled off seven straight points thanks to the pinpoint serving of Taylor Takeda, who had an ace in the run and kept the Buffanblu on their heels. Ma‘afala had successive kills during the run but let Punahou back within two, 24-22, when Remo Gaogao earned a kill off her block. The advantage didn’t last, though, as McKenna Rose Granato, who led the Buffanblu in kills with 19, hit long to send it to a decisive fifth set.

The Warriors didn’t lose anything during the break, rolling off four straight points with Takeda serving and running it to 6-1 when Ma‘afala deked the Buffanblu by staring down outside hitter Tiyana Hallums but putting up a no-look quickset to middle blocker Kealani Browne and allowing a wide smile to take over her face after her deception worked.

Kayla Afoa took it from there, burying four straight kills on a variety of shots to run the lead to 13-4. Hallums ended the massacre with a kill off a block.

Alohi Robins-Hardy and Hallums each had 17 kills for Kamehameha’s suddenly diverse offense.

"We didn’t pass well," Punahou coach Tanya Fuamatu-Anderson said. "Even when we were passing we just didn’t execute on offense."

Seeds set for D-I tournament

ILH champion Kamehameha starts its tournament run on Wednesday against Tuesday’s winner between Hilo and Kahuku and Kamehameha-Maui, the No. 4 seed, begins with the winner between Moanalua and Leilehua.

OIA champion Mililani drew the No. 2 seed and opens at Keeau against the winner between King Kekaulike and Aiea.

Punahou opens the tournament on Tuesday against Farrington and would play third-seed Kamehameha-Hawaii on Wednesday if it wins.

The semifinals are Thursday at Kamehameha-Hawaii with the championship on Friday at the same site.