The Raiders celebrate after defeating the Buffanblu in four sets. Michael Lasquero | SL

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Iolani outside hitters Saige Kaahaaina-Torres and Elena Oglivie await a Punahou serve in the fourth set. Michael Lasquero | SL

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Iolani will get its chance to defend its state title.

Outside hitters Elena Oglivie and Saige Kaahaaina-Torres combined for 45 kills to lead No. 3 Iolani to a four-set win over No. 2 Punahou to claim the Interscholastic League of Honolulu's second and final Division I state tournament berth Tuesday night.

The scores were 25-17, 17-25, 25-14 and 33-31.

The Raiders (6-7) notched their third win of the season over the Buffanblu (5-8) to mark their third consecutive trip to states.

It was Iolani's second win over the Buffanblu in a span of four days. The Raiders cruised to a sweep on their home court Friday, but Tuesday's winner-take-all rematch proved to be much closer.

"Punahou came prepared and their coaches did a great job of bringing their kids in ready. You could feel their energy from the warm-ups, but I'm just proud of our kids for being able to come back and be resilient," Iolani coach Kainoa Obrey said.

The Raiders had lost five consecutive matches prior to Friday's win over the Buffanblu.

"We went through a tough stretch with losing five matches in a row, but the kids came in the gym, worked hard every day and this was our one shot (to make states), so it's cool to see this happen for them."

Iolani outside hitters Saige Kaahaaina-Torres and Elena Oglivie await a Punahou serve in the fourth set. Michael Lasquero | SL    Purchase image

Oglivie, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, recorded match-highs of 24 kills and 25 digs, while Kaahaaina-Torres, a 6-foot senior, also posted a double-double with 23 kills and 10 digs.

"During practice and all the talks that we've had, we always talk about confidence and having confidence that we're going to win, ‘we're going to get through this and this is not going to be our last match,' " Oglivie said. "I just think we had that mindset and that's why we played with the intensity that we had today."

The teams split the first two sets before the Raiders took command of game 3 early on. Kaahaaina-Torres slammed down her third kill of the set to give her team a 9-2 lead. A solo block by middle Sasha Petticord forced a Punahou timeout at 13-4.

The Buffanblu got no closer than eight points at 19-11 following an Iolani hitter error, but the Raiders answered by scoring five of the final eight points to take the set, 25-14.

"In set two we kind of lost who we were and who we're growing to be, so I think coming back to that in the third set and knowing how we're supposed to play, that really brought us up and that's what essentially helped us win the game," said Kaahaina-Torres, the reigning All-Hawaii Player of the Year.

Game 4, however, was hardly one-sided with 21 ties and nine lead changes.

Punahou staved off six match points for Iolani, but was unable to capitalize on two game points of its own.

Teana Adams-Kaonohi's dink on the second touch put the Buffanblu ahead 24-23, but Iolani answered with an Oglivie kill down the left line. Oglivie then teamed with Petticord on a block to put the Raiders ahead, 25-24.

The teams alternated the next 10 points before an Amalia Hilliard kill tied it at 30. Adams-Kaonohi then found Savana Greene on a pike set to put Punahou ahead, 31-30.

However, Oglivie went off the block and out off an assist from Kristen McDaniel to knot it at 31. Grace Wee then served up an ace to give Iolani the lead for good before a Punahou hitting error ended the match.

"It's like a lot of emotions right now," Kaahaaina-Torres said. "I think it really took a lot from the team and it took a lot of sticking together and I think that's really what we've been practicing this whole week, is ‘family.' We've just been practicing how to be a family, because that's what gets us through these really tough situations and I think we really pulled together in the end and I'm super excited for states."

Kaahaaina-Torres had 10 kills in the fourth set. She also had four of her team's nine aces and was in on four blocks. McDaniel, a junior setter, posted 46 assists, five digs and two kills and junior libero Naya Dong contributed 23 digs.

Amalia Hilliard had 15 kills and Savana Greene added 13 for Punahou. Teana Adams-Kaonohi had 23 assists and Mehana Maa 13 in a losing effort.

"It's been a dogfight from the beginning and we knew that that's how it was going to play out with the competitive teams in our league, so I'm proud of our kids, but congratulations to Iolani for playing great and tonight they were the better team. We wish them well," Buffanblu coach Tanya Fuamatu-Anderson said.

Punahou saw its season come to a close and will miss the state tournament for the third straight year.

Iolani, the defending state champion, joins league champ Kamehameha as the ILH's representatives in next week's D1 state tournament.