Mililani takes down Roosevelt to reach Division I title game

Mililani's Brycen Yadao (4) puts down a kill against the Rough Riders in the second set. Yadao accounted for nine kills, one ace, and 19 assists in the OIA boys volleyball semifinal matchup at Radford's Jim Alegre gymnasium CJ Caraang | SL

Mililani took care of business in the semifinals, taking down Roosevelt in straight sets, 25-19, 25-16, 25-17, to reach the OIA Division I title game for the first time since 2017.

Sweep aside, it didn't come easy.

The Rough Riders pushed the West champs in each set well past the midway point, but ultimately the Trojans came up with key points when it need them most.

Manase Fetulimoeata, who led all players with 13 kills, put down two kills in succession in set one to give Mililani a 21-14 advantage and a block on the next point by Dayne Rego and Brycen Yadao put the Trojans in command, where they eventually took the set, 25-19.

"He's one our biggest, best hitters we have," said Brycen Yadao of Fetulimoeata. "We need him to just keep it up and get us rolling (offensively)."

Then in set two with Roosevelt closing to within a pair at 16-14, Mililani mounted a 6-0 scoring run that all but killed the momentum the Rough Riders had mustered in the second, and the Trojans took set two, 25-16.

Set three was the same as the first two sets, with Roosevelt scrapping back to get within 19-17, but yet another 6-0 scoring run for Mililani proved to the match sealer.

Roosevelt outblocked Mililani, 9-5, but just couldn't compete with the variety of weapons at the Trojans' disposal.

"We're not used to having bigger blocks so that was definitely a challenge but I know all our guys can swing a lot better than that," said Brycen Yadao. "We're not used to making so many hitting errors that our nerves just kind of got the best of us."

Mililani's Brycen Yadao padded the stat sheet with nine kills, two blocks and ace to go along with 19 assists. His brother, Brayden, added seven kills and a block and middle Stephen Kanuch had nine kills as well.

Setter James Saffery had 22 assists and four kills and Colin Ilagan served up a game-high three aces for the Trojans.

As for the last title appearance back in 2017?

The Trojans won that match on April 27, a five-set thrller that halted Moanalua's streak of league crowns at six.

Moanalua sweeps past Kaiser, 25-13, 25-17, 25-14

Christian Tafao put down 11 kills and Keanu Kawaa added 10 to pace Na Menehune in a straight set sweep over Kaiser, 25-13, 25-17, 25-14, to reach the OIA Division I title game for the 12th straight time.

Tafao added three aces and a block and Cody Bonilla four kills and three total blocks for Moanalua, who never trailed in the match, leading by double digits late in both sets one and three and by nine points at 23-14 in the second.

As it did in the two teams' previous meeting, Na Menehune serve kept the Cougars off balance and out of system, holding an 8-0 advantage in service aces.

Seth Harman had a game high six kills for Kaiser and Gabe Singelman added five more in the loss. Cougars' leading hitter Micah Ah See left the game midway through the second set with an apparent knee injury and did not return.

Both teams have already qualified for the upcoming HHSAA Division I state championships.