PUKALANI — The top-seeded Baldwin High School girls volleyball team beat fourth-seeded King Kekaulike in the first semifinal of the Maui Interscholastic League Division I tournament at King Kekaulike Gym on Tuesday night, but it took a big fight to get it done.
Na Alii had a set point in the third set in an eventual 25-18, 21-25, 27-25, 25-20 Baldwin victory.
The win sends the Bears (13-0) into the tournament final tonight.
“That’s exactly what I told these girls, ‘You go through that line and you shake their hands because they gave us everything we could handle tonight,’ “ Baldwin coach Al Paschoal said.
Na Alii (4-10) were coming off a five-set victory over Lahainaluna on Monday night in a match they trailed two sets to none.
“I told them, ‘Don’t mess with a hot team,’ “ Paschoal said. “They were serving tough, their defense is always good. Yeah, they were making plays.”
Na Alii led 11-7 in the third, and the set was tied at 17-17, 18-18 and 19-19 before the Bears took a 24-22 lead. Na Alii rallied to take a 25-24 lead — an ace by Melia Adams tied it up at 24-24 and a kill by Lahela Pond gave King Kekaulike a set point.
A dump by Lilinoe Paschoal tied the set again at 25-25, a kill by Amanda Naipo gave the Bears set point and a kill by Ku’ulei Manaois gave the Bears a 2-1 lead in sets.
Na Alii bounced out to a 10-6 lead in the fourth and still led 15-12 when Paschoal won a joust at the net to bring the Bears within two. A well-placed push into the corner by Natronai Anana tied the set 16-16.
A hitting error gave the Bears an 18-17 lead, and Baldwin never trailed again — an ace by Ariana Naipo ended the match.
Ariana Naipo finished with 11 kills, 10 digs and five aces for Baldwin. Faith Alvior added seven kills, an ace and 12 digs; Anana had 29 digs, an ace and two kills; Paschoal had 33 assists, five kills, an ace and two digs; Manaois had five kills, 10 digs, two aces and two blocks; and Amanda Naipo had nine kills, 15 digs and two aces.
For Na Alii, Lahela Pond had seven kills, while Kamy-Ann Kamai and Keani Domingo each had five kills.
Asked if a match like this will help his team at the upcoming state tournament, Al Paschoal said, “I hope so.”
* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.