Kapolei’s championship dreams came to a swift, mostly painless end Friday at the McKinley High gym.

The Hurricanes were on the wrong end of a 25-12, 25-14, 25-11 loss to Kamehameha in the New City Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball Championships Division I semifinals.

Expectations of a victory against the powerful Warriors weren’t exactly high to begin with for the upstart Kapolei program. Kamehameha, after all, has won seven of the past nine state titles and could make it eight of 10 in the final against Punahou on Saturday night.

"They (the Warriors) are a really good team," said Hurricanes setter Annika San Nicolas, who had 18 assists. "We weren’t intimidated, but we didn’t play our game. We got out of system and never got back in it."

Kamehameha coach Chris Blake gave his team high marks for executing the game plan.

"Everyone on the team did what we asked them to do," Blake said. "We were trying to limit what they (the Hurricanes) do best. We served tactically and our defensive schemes against their outside hitters worked out. They’re a well-coached team and I’m happy to come out with the ‘W’."

Tiyana Hallums led the attack for the Warriors (17-0) with eight kills, and Sarah Lau added six.

The whole Kamehameha bench cheered when Codie Conching entered the game in the third set. She hadn’t played all year due to an ACL injury.

"It felt good for our whole team that she finally got to play and we were there to support her," said Kamehameha’s Tita Akiu, who had three aces and seven digs.

In the first set, the Warriors had a 20-9 lead and increased it to 23-11 on Kayla Afoa’s kill on a Leila Holt (22 assists) set. Two Kapolei errors ended it.

Two Afoa kills late in the second set gave Kamehameha a 23-12 edge and two more Kapolei mistakes allowed the Warriors to go up 2-0 in sets.

In the third set, Lau had three late booming kills, and Akiu’s block on aloha ball was the final blow.

"We made a lot of unforced errors," said Kapolei coach Naidah Gamurot, who also led the Hurricanes all the way to the OIA title game, where they lost in the deciding set 15-13 to Moanalua.

Kapolei (12-4) can get redemption against Na Menehune on Saturday in the third-place match.

"To be in the final four, we should be very proud," Gamurot said. "Tonight, we couldn’t get started, couldn’t click. We were not playing as a team and we were not in the right position."

Shekinah Clarke had 10 kills for Kapolei, and Malia Transfiguration had a match-high 11 digs.

Division I

Championship

Kamehameha vs. Punahou, 7 p.m.

Third place

Kapolei vs. Moanalua, 3:30 p.m.

Division II

Championship

Konawaena vs. Seabury Hall, 5 p.m.

Third place

Kalaheo vs. Hawaii Baptist, 2 p.m.

Fifth place

St. Francis vs. Kailua, 12:30 p.m.

Consolation

Kauai vs. Radford, 11 a.m.

All games at Blaisdell Arena