Moanalua's Jojo Kruize slammed down a game-high 21 kills in a straight set win over Kapolei. Peter Caldwell | SL

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SALT LAKE — The hits just keep on coming for Jojo Kruize.

Kruize put down a match-high 21 kills to help Moanalua pummel Kapolei in a quarterfinal-round match of the New City Nissan/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I Girls Volleyball State Championships Thursday night. The scores were 25-15, 25-22 and 25-15.

Na Menehune, the tournament's No. 2 seed, improved to 15-0 and advanced to Friday's semifinal round. They will face Kamehameha — which swept third-seeded King Kekaulike Thursday — at 7 p.m. at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium.

Kruize, an outside hitter, took 40 swings on the night, with just six errors, and hit .375. She also led all players with 14 digs. Middle hitter Katy Ehnstrom had eight kills, libero Lindsey Ng notched 12 digs and defensive specialist Hula Crisostomo chipped in nine digs.

Moanalua played without sophomore outside hitter/setter Emily Dulaney, who was out due to illness.

"She got sick (Wednesday) and I wanted her to rest today," Na Menehune coach Alan Cabanting said. "She said she could play, but I needed to rest her today and so the different tempo in the set, the hitters had to adjust and it took them a while — maybe the second set — for them to be able to figure it out."

Moanalua struggled early on. Four of Kapolei's first five points of the match came off Na Menehune hitting errors. They had eight in the opening set.

The Hurricanes held a slim lead at 12-11, but Moanalua stormed back with a 14-3 run to win game one by 10 points.

Kruize said her team's slow start was due to adjusting to personnel, but rather calming some nerves.

"I think it was just that there is a lot of pressure on us this year and I think that's what we were struggling with, more the mental side for us, but I don't think it was having any new players at all. I don't think that affected us tonight," Kruize said.

Kapolei led for much of game two. Kaile Tuisamatatele sandwiched a pair of kills around a Moanalua net violation to give her team a 19-17 lead. Na Menehune scored three straight to pull even at 20. There were tied at 21 and 22 before Angelica Hulett's tip down gave Moanalua a 23-22 lead. Arendia Ruiter went off the block for a kill and Kruize closed out the set with a cross-court kill from the left side.

"Mentally we stayed with it and we stayed confident and we understood that if we ever got down, that our serve could get us right back in there," said Cabanting, whose team had six aces.

Ng had two of the aces. Kruize, Crisostomo, Bryanne Yasui and Emree Sato each had an ace as well.

"We are really trying to keep our serving tough because as we continue in this tournament, the teams are just going to keep getting better and better," Kruize said.

Moanalua was able to overcome eight blocks by Kapolei, including six in the second set.

"Kapolei was really suffocating our hitters for a little bit," Kruize said. "They were pressing over and closing the blocks, but once we started setting everyone and distributing the offense I think we were able to start being more effective."

Na Menehune used a 10-0 run early in game three en route to another 10-point win.

"As far as we're concerned at this point, all of the teams are going to be great teams," Cabanting said. "We're going to have to battle like that in the next game as well.

Kamehameha swept Moanalua the only time the teams met this year, which came in a preseason tournament more than two months ago.

"I think our team is a lot different now," Kruize said. "Kamehameha, of course, has grown so much and they look really good, but we really want it this year and I hope that hunger will keep with us through the tournament and get us in the championship game for the first time."

Cabanting said he's hoping that Dulaney will feel well enough to play against the Warriors Friday night.