Kamehameha libero Mia Heirakuji (center) embraces teammate Taylor Takeda (left) who served the set and match winning point in the third to bring home the state championship title. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Kamehameha's Alohi Robins-Hardy was named the Division I tournament's Most Valuable Player. Peter Caldwell | SL

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Kamehameha setter Faith Ma‘afala looks up at the New City Nissan/HHSAA Division I state championship trophy as she and her teammates hold it up. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Kamehameha head coach Chris Blake recorded his 7th state title with the Warriors. Peter Caldwell | SL

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Kamehameha Warrior teammates celebrate after defeating Punahou in three sets to win their 19th HHSAA Division I state championship title. Sean Nakamura | SL

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KE‘EAU — From start to finish Kamehameha played with heart.

"We all knew (and) we justified to each other that we we’re going to play with heart and that nobody was going to come in this gym and out-heart us," said a tearful Faith Maafala.

Top-seeded Kamehameha Warriors swept the Punahou Buffanblu in three sets, 25-19, 25-20, and 25-15 to take their 19th HHSAA Division I state championship title — their sixth title in the past 10 years.

"All the three months, we worked for it, this is what we worked for and this is what we wanted so we came out here with heart and we just played like we wanted to win," said Alohi Robins-Hardy. "That’s what the result was, so (I’m) proud of the girls."

Seniors Maafala and Robins-Hardy have been together since freshman year winning their first state championship title on Maui in 2010.

"It’s nice to come back (to the states) and come to Hilo and win our senior year," said Hardy-Robins.

"It’s awesome."

Of Kamehameha's 40 assists, 39 was split up between Maafala and Robins-Hardy who had 21 and 18 assists respectively.  

"Me and Alohi have been together since freshman year, the bond has built ever since then," said Maafala. "It’s amazing the bond that we built and it’s awesome because she’s like a sister to me."

"Having that connection with her, it’s amazing."

Maafala assisted Robins-Hardy for 11 of her game-high 13 kills and Robins-Hardy returned the favor with assisting 6 of Maafala’s 7 kills.

"I think (Robins-Hardy) and Faith were big keys for us to do those kind of things and for her to step up in this match, right here, is all that we ask for our seniors," said Kamehameha head coach Chris Blake.

"Faith and Alohi did a lot of great things. They’ve been on our team for four years, they’ve been a rock for us — for them to come out and go out this way, I’m so happy for them."

After a steady pacing to slowly but surely increase the gap from the start of set three, Kamehameha launched a unanswered 5-0 rally at 20-15 to sprint to the finish.

Server Taylor Takeda finished her team’s 5-0 with a service ace to end the game, 25-15, and bring home the title for the Warriors.

"I’m so proud of the girls," said Blake. "The things that they have done this season in order to do that, the kind of play that they had here... Our goal has always to play the best match in the season and our last match in the season."

The Warriors started the first set strong with an 8-2 run to force an early Buffanblu timeout. But Kamehameha continued to maintain a 7 to 8 point lead until Punahou sparked a 6-0 run at 17-8 to provoke a timeout from the Warriors. But it didn’t matter as Kamehameha continued their point stride despite Punahou’s comeback to end the first set, 25-19.

Set two was more of a nail-bitter for the Kamehameha as they trailed 5-1 in at the start. A Warrior timeout helped spark them to catch up to the Buffanblu at 6-6 before clocking points back-and-forth until 17-all where Kamehameha launched a serious offense backed by sets from Maafala and Robins-Hardy to dash away from Punahou, 25-20 for the second set.

"We knew Punahou was going to come out all fired up and for the things they (Kamehameha) did in that first set,"" said Blake. "To be able to maintain it in sets two and three, it’s nothing we could ask more for our girls especially for our seniors."

It was head coach Chris Blake’s 7th state championship title for the Kamehamha Warriors girls volleyball team.