Kamehameha's Kili Robins had a team-high 10 kills in a three set win over Punahou. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Kamehameha improved to 8-0 in ILH Division I play with a grind-it-out 25-21, 21-25, 26-18 win over Punahou in front of a crowd of about 300 at Kekuhaupio Gymnasium on the campus of Kamehameha Schools Kapalama.

Kili Robins led the way with 10 kills, a block and six digs, and Kayla Afoa added two kills, 13 digs and two blocks for the Warriors, who dropped a set for only the second time in league play.

"They did a pretty good job of putting us out of system, they serve pretty tough, and I'm proud of our setter distributing the ball and doing the little things," said Kamehameha head coach Chris Blake. "Kili with her swings, Kayla also did well and our middles did an excellent job of making sure we were doing some things that don't show up in the stats. It was a great team win and a great system win today."

Punahou (4-4) certainly looked a different team from the one that was swept 25-16, 25-20 by Kamehameha at Hemmeter Fieldhouse two weeks ago.

"I think they came hungry and ready for this game," said Kamehameha outside hitter Kili Robins. "And we weren't really expecting that kind of power. But we came back and matched that."

One could almost sense that it would be an extended afternoon of volleyball from the get-go, as the lead tottered almost literally between the two teams in the first set, with a margin never stretching to more than three points for either squad.

Punahou actually led 22-21 in the opening set, forcing a Kamehameha time out, but the pause in the action definitely quelled the momentum going the visitors' way, as the Warriors quickly reached set point on an Afoa kill followed by a pair of costly miscues for points on the Buffanblu.

Tymane Talanoa and Braelyn Akana then put the set away on the next point, stuffing the Punahou spike attempt to give Kamehameha a 25-21 win.

Set two saw the Warriors jump out to an quick 4-0 advantage, but the lead was slowly but surely whittled away by the Buffanblu, who tied the score at 11-all on a Aria McComber kill and then took the lead on a Amalia Hilliard kill a point later.

More back and forth ensued all the way through 20-all in set two, until Sandra Zeng and Beam Parker combined on a block to give Punahou the lead for good in the second set at 21-20.

Kamehameha closed to 23-21 on an Afoa kill, but back-to-back kills by Hilliard and Zeng gave the second to the Buffanblu by a count of 25-21, forcing a deciding third set.

Set three opened much like the second, with the Warriors jumping out to an early cushion, and progressed in simiilar fashion as well, with the Buffanblu chipping away at the margin before eventually tying the score at 10-all on the fifth consecutive kill of the set by McCombs.

Kamehameha took back control at the midway point, using a 7-1 scoring run to extend the lead to 18-12, forcing Punahou to call for time.

From there, it was all Warriors.

Braelyn Akana had three kills down the stretch and Kalina Obrey slammed down a kill in the middle to get to match point, and a Punahou kill attempt swung wide to end it.

Lexi Akeo had 20 assists and four digs, Braelyn Akana seven kills and thee blocks, Obrey two kills and three blocks, and Kyra Hanawahine 10 digs and two assists in a balanced attack for the Warriors.

"The passers did really great, that gave me the opportunities to set my hitters great, and they definitely put it down," said Akeo.

For Punahou, Hilliard poured in 13 kills to go along with four digs, and McComber notched a double-double with a 11 kill, 13 dig effort. Setter Gabrielle Puaa added 31 assists and 11 digs in a losting effort.

"We expected them to grow and you're only as good as your last match, and for Punahou they are a very talented group and well coached and for us to come up with a W in a match like this is a great win for us," said Blake.