Leilehua's Tatupu Timaye and Leilehua's Davon Newman puts up a block against Radford in the second set. CJ Caraang | SL

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_19033035_BVB_LEI-RAD_CJCARAANG-8707.jpg - CJ Caraang | SL

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ALIAMANU — In case you didn't notice — the Leilehua boys volleyball team is on a hot streak.

The Mules won their seventh straight OIA West match Friday night with a 25-15, 25-22, win over host Radford at Jim Alegre Gymnasium to stay unbeaten atop the league standings.

It is Leilehua's best start since 2014, when the Mules won 12 straight matches to reach the OIA Division I (formally known as the Red Division) championship.

First-year Leilehua coach Jeremiah Keola, a long-time assistant with the program since the early 1990s, is at the helm of the upstart Mules.

"This year I was given the opportunity to take care of the varsity program. I'm blessed with the talent that I have," said Keola. "To be blessed with the talent that I have, I can't say it's all me."

The Mules (7-0) definitely flexed their talent against the Rams (3-5). Eight different players recorded a kill for Leilehua, who was led by Kahakai Kahoiwai's seven kills.

The influx of talent also allows Leilehua to utilize a 6-2 offense instead of a 5-1, which gives senior setter Timaye Tatupu a chance to hit when sophomore David Beyer-Barro is at the controls.

"In years prior, it was always a 5-1 with Timaye Tatupu. This year I was blessed to have David, my sophomore, to be that secondary setter," said Keola. "With his help, it opened up (Timaye) to hit. As you can tell, he can bang that ball. It helps us out when he can hit as well — but not only him. We have a lot of guys we can go to so teams have to watch out."

Against Radford Friday night, Leilehua also dominated the service line with nine aces, with seven different players scoring back there.

The Mules' approach to serving is simple, Keola said.

"It's not really our speciality, it's more trying to keep the ball in. Majority of the times we struggle. Tonight the boys kept it in. Everyone has their own style."

Leilehua pulled away from the Rams in the opening set, but Radford jumped out to a 3-0 lead to start the second. The Mules came back to tie it at eight and nine points, and took a 10-9 lead, but the Rams roared back to take a 17-12 lead that forced a Leilehua timeout.

After the break in play, Leilehua got three straight points to stop the bleeding. The Mules kept on fighting until Davon Newman and Daymien Rodrigues combined on a block to tie the score at 21.

A Radford hitting error that landed under the net, a Mark Rosco Elizarde ace and a Newman kill from the middle put Leilehua firmly in control, 24-21. A service error gave the Rams the serve back, but they gave up match point on a service error of their own, 25-22.

Jude Pauulu led Radford in the loss with seven kills, three blocks (two solo) and four assists.