Wes Nakama
April 20, 2012, 4:10am
Buffanblu sweep Warriors, move toward ILH title
Punahou's Micah Ma'a and Nicholas Andrew challenge a kill attempt by Kamehameha's Savili Bartley. Eric Alcantara | Special to SLThe Buffanblu improved to 13-0 in league play with two matches remaining, against Mid-Pacific on Tuesday and Saint Louis on Wednesday.
The Warriors fell to 9-3, with three matches (vs. Saint Louis and at Maryknoll and 'Iolani) left.
"We're trying to stay steady," Punahou coach Rick Tune said. "Kamehameha is a good team, and we were trying to make plays and be effective making reads."
Things went smoothly in the first set, especially after a 9-1 run that stretched an 11-8 lead to 20-9.
But in the second set, the Warriors hung tough and trailed 22-21 after back-to-back kills by Kamuela Gruiger-Hill, before the Buffanblu finished it with a kill by Tuileta, a Kamehameha error and Gruebner's block.
The Warriors led for much of the third set and reached game point at 24-23, but Tuileta tied it with a kill and -- after Kamehameha fought off match point three times -- Punahou completed the sweep on consecutive hitting errors.
"We're playing smarter volleyball and limiting our mistakes, we're getting better at taking care of the ball," Warriors coach Kainoa Downing said. "But we still need to play steadier. Punahou does a great job playing steady volleyball, and they just know how to win."
Nick Andrews added seven kills for the Buffanblu, and freshman setter Micah Ma'a had four kills and a block while setting despite a taped-up sprained left wrist.
Cullen Mosher led Kamehameha with 14 kills and Grugier-Hill added nine kills.