Na Alii Girls Dethrone KS-Maui in Tourney Final

King Kekaulike’s Treyanna-Lee Freitas (1) rips a kill past Kamehameha Maui’s Selai Damuni (3) during Friday’s girls volleyball action at Baldwin gym. Photo by Connor Yap.

By Rodney S. Yap

The King Kekaulike High School girls volleyball team settled whatever unfinished business it had in the Maui Interscholastic League on Friday, executing a five-set, come-from-behind victory over Kamehameha Maui in the championship tilt of the Division I tournament.

Na Alii completed their title run by turning back the 10-time MIL Division I champion Warriors, 16-25, 22-25, 25-13, 25-21, 15-7, at Baldwin’s Jon Garcia Gymnasium.

Junior outside hitter Treyanna-Lee Freitas sparked her team’s remarkable comeback from two sets down with her solid play on both sides of the net. Freitas seized the opportunity on offense with a match-high 24 kills and her 30 digs on the defensive end wore down a Warrior roster that is without a single senior.

Kamehameha Maui’s Danielle Brown with one of her 14 kills Friday against King Kekaulike’s Brennalye Rodrigues (11) and Victoria Kunishi (2). Photo by Connor Yap.

King Kekaulike (13-1), who also won the regular-season title, returns to the state championship tournament for the first time since earning its only other MIL crown in 1999.

Victoria Kunishi had 47 assists, Brennalye Rodrigues contributed seven kills, five blocks, and Rose Love added five kills and five blocks.

Kamehameha Maui was led by Selai Damuni’s 17 kills and Danielle Brown’s 14. Aliyah Ayau finished with 38 assists for the Warriors (10-4), who is the league’s second representative at the Division I tournament.

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In the MIL Division II girls tournament on Molokai, Seabury Hall beat Hana 25-19, 25-14, 25-11, to improve to 12-0.

King Kekaulike’s Treyanna-Lee goes up for a swing against Kamehameha Maui blockers Aliah Ayau (5) and Kanilea Nomura (10). Photo by Connor Yap.

The Spartan girls extended their MIL winning streak to 33, while the Dragons fell to 9-3, suffering all three loses to Seabury.

The girls Division II state volleyball tournament is scheduled for Nov. 5-8 at McKinley and Kaimuki high schools.