With half his starting lineup out, Kamehameha coach Kainoa Downing wasn’t about to temper his high expectations.

Instead of sulking through a match against No. 1 Punahou on the road, the third-ranked Warriors rallied for a stunning 17-25, 25-20, 25-20 upset victory at Hemmeter Fieldhouse.

Cullen Mosher led the Warriors (3-0) with 19 kills, including eight in the final set. The senior outside hitter had three kills during a crucial run, all perfectly placed pokes off the block of Punahou’s towering 6-foot-6 junior, Daniel Andrews.

"I’m stressed," Downing said. "My boys were able to stay together after losing three starters. The whole team stepped up. Everybody took their little pieces. A kid like Kahi (Machado) just came in and just played volleyball."

Kamehameha overcame a 21-kill performance by Larry Tuileta.

"Come on. He’s the best player in the United States," Downing said. "Our attitude had to be, don’t let it bother you. Try to limit how many times he kills you and move on. But you’re not going to stop him. He’s phenomenal."

For the most part, aside from the Buffanblu alumni band, it was the visiting crowd from Kamehameha that was louder and more involved. Punahou was precise, even elegant, in the opening set with just two hitting errors and led by as many as 12 points. But the tide changed in the second game, with a roof by Mosher on Tuileta, and Punahou never regained control.

"We did not play well, and that was mostly due to Kamehameha. They played great," said Punahou coach Rick Tune, whose team didn’t play a preseason match while four players enjoyed a run to the state basketball final before joining the volleyball team late.

Tune wouldn’t use anything as an excuse, including Andrews’ illness.

"Kamehameha played a really strong match. Everybody in the gym saw that we didn’t play our best. We have a lot of holes in the dam to plug," he said. "Knowing these guys, we’ll respond well."

Warriors senior Jared Kaniho delivered 28 assists without a hitch, while his counterpart, Micah Ma‘a, also had 28 assists. But Ma‘a hit a service error and made two lifts on consecutive plays as Kamehameha took a 22-20 lead in the third game.

An ace by Kahiau Machado, a sophomore, opened the lead to three points. After Punahou was called for a four-hit violation off a tip by Mosher, Tuileta’s blast was long, and Kamehameha had its first win on Punahou’s campus in years.

"If it’s close, you can’t really blame him," Ma‘a said of the lift calls. "I shouldn’t give him a chance to call it."

Kamehameha hit .273 as a team and finished with four aces and seven service errors, with two of the aces coming from Machado. He was one of the new starters filling in for Nick Ng, Azariah Distajo and Kaehu Kaaa, who did not play due to "administrative decision," Downing said.

Machado added three kills and a block, and 6-6 senior Scott Harrison also had three blocks. Cody Wong, another sophomore, chipped in two aces.

Tuileta, with amazing body control and hitting placement, led with 21 kills and an ace. Kupono Fey added five kills, two blocks and an ace, and Taylor Wiens tallied four kills. Ma‘a also had four kills in a brief stint on the right side, with Dylan Gerard at setter.

Punahou tallied three aces and three service errors, and hit .287 as a team. The Buffanblu had seven hitting errors in the second set.

The Warriors had just eight hitting errors in the entire match.

Kamehameha’s road Warriors continue their voyage with a match at Mid-Pacific on Saturday. Punahou will remain at home to face No. 5 ‘Iolani, also on Saturday.