Kekaulike Girls Claim MIL Regular-Season Title

King Kekaulike’s Brennalye Rodrigues (11) hits this ball past Baldwin defender Vatu Masi (14) during Tuesday’s MIL girls volleyball action. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

By Rodney S. Yap

The King Kekaulike High School girls volleyball team turned back Baldwin High School in four sets Tuesday to clinch the Maui Interscholastic League Division I regular-season championship and the state tournament berth that accompanies it.

The Bears made sure Na Alii earned its second MIL regular-season title since 1998, winning the first set 25-21 before the Upcountry school won the next three 25-7, 25-19, 25-20.

A crowd of about 150 endured hot and humid conditions inside the Bears’ Jon Garcia Gymnasium.

King Kekaulike celebrates after clinching the MIL girls Division I regular-season championship Tuesday at Baldwin High School. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

King Kekaulike is now 9-0 on the season, three games ahead of 10-time defending MIL D-I champion Kamehameha Maui (6-3) in the league standings. Baldwin dropped to 3-6, tied for third place with Maui High (3-6), which fell in straight sets to KS-Maui on Tuesday, 25-13, 25-18, 25-21.

Na Alii will host Lahainaluna on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

King Kekaulike barely celebrated following its win at Baldwin. The team used a balanced attack, but was led by four sophomores in outside-hitter Mekaila Makahanaloa, who had six kills and sevens digs; Sirinya Yothowaong’s six aces and 19 digs; Kiarra-Lei Martelles’s three aces and two digs; and Rose Love’s three kills and two blocks. Jamie Gomes, one of only three sophomores on the team’s 15-player roster, finished with four aces and 11 digs.

King Kekaulike’s Treyanna-Lee Freitas gets ready to serve Baldwin Tuesday at the Bears’ gym. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

Baldwin was led by Chantel Dickson’s nine kills and 12 digs. Senior Shaye Leigh Clemente added six kills and three aces, Vatu Masi had six kills, Milan Yasso had 23 digs and Kamele Houpo had 17 assists.

The Bears host Maui High on Saturday at 6 p.m.