Siani Yamaguchi pounded 14 kills and Riley Lynch added 11 as Kalaheo swept Leilehua 27-25, 25-23, 25-15 on Thursday night in the quarterfinal round of the OIA Division I girls volleyball playoffs at Moanalua High School gym.

The win gave the Lady Mustangs a berth in the upcoming Division I state championships. Kalaheo won the OIA D-II title last year and finished fourth in the D-II state tourney.

Kalaheo reached the state tournament in 2002, when it won the consolation championship. That was before Division II was instituted.

"This is a first for Kalaheo going this high in D-I," coach Berta Downey said. "On or off the court, it’s about the girls. We’re totally enjoying the ride."

Kalaheo’s versatility was a factor against a scrappy Leilehua squad. Four different Mustangs recorded at least one assist. Seven Mustangs had at least one block.

"Some of these girls have been with us three, four years," Downey said of the roster, which includes seven seniors and six juniors.

Leslie Sanchez-Arellano dished out 22 assists and had two kills. Yamaguchi added nine dimes and a roof. Violet Subee patrolled the middle and had eight kills with four of her team’s 10 blocks. Syenna Masaki (four kills, block, ace) and Samantha Pollard (three kills, three blocks) also played crucial roles.

"Leilehua definitely took care of shutting (Masaki) down, but Riley had a good match and our middles were ready," Downey said. "Everybody picked up their game."

Kalaheo hit .246 to Leilehua’s .136. The Lady Mustangs had four aces and three service errors. Leilehua had seven aces and one service error, along with 10 blocks.

Kalaheo may seem happy just to reach the D-I state tourney, but the OIA title is one on the bucket list.

"As a team, we’ve been working really hard to reach our goals," Subee said. "We get on each other’s nerves sometimes, but we keep working together. This group is meant to make states."

Saramasina Docktor had six kills, two aces and a match-high seven blocks for the Lady Mules. Elisha Levasa, a crafty jack of all trades, had a team-high 13 kills to go with two aces and a block. Brittany Pasoquen had 17 assists and three aces.

"We expected a good battle. Our girls hung in there, but it was hard to get back in it mentally," longtime coach Ernest Balignasay said. "Kalaheo is a real good team. They made adjustments."

Moanalua 3, Aiea 0

Fifth-ranked Moanalua defeated Aiea in the later match at Moanalua’s gym on Thursday. Kalaheo will play Moanalua on Tuesday at McKinley Student Council Gymnasium in the semifinals.

Mililani 3, Kalani 1

The Trojans punched their ticket to states with a win over the Falcons.