Michael Lasquero | ScoringLive
October 16, 2018, 1:27am
Mililani takes down reigning champ Moanalua
Mililani celebrates a point against Moanalua Monday night. Greg Yamamoto | SLSALT LAKE — Visiting Mililani flipped the script on the defending champs Monday night.
The third-ranked Trojans edged reigning OIA Division I champion Moanalua on its home floor in the league semifinals to advance to Wednesday's title match against Kahuku. Set scores were 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 26-24.
Mililani (12-0), the top-seeded team from the West, will try for its third OIA crown when it takes on the Red Raiders at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium. All of the Trojans' league titles have come with Mililani coach Val Crabbe at the helm.
Junior Aysia Miller credited coach Crabbe in the Trojans' tight win over Na Menehune (10-3).
"Coach Val just helped us to refocus," said Miller, who had a solid all-around game with 38 assists, 10 digs, eight kills, three blocks and three aces.
"She made sure that we were here to win, and only to win, and we knew all these outside distractions like their home gym would go away once we play for each other."
With the first three sets finishing with identical point differentials, Moanalua look poised to force a fifth set after going up 24-23 in the fourth fourth set, but Miller and Gabby Naniseni came up big with a block on Moanalua's Jeslyn Spencer after a long rally to make the extend the period.
"Well I just put my hands up honestly and kind of lined up on (Spencer's) shoulder and she just hit it over there and Gabby did an amazing job following me and closing the block," Miller said describing the play.
Naniseni then drilled two controlled shots from the service line to end the match to help the Trojans advance.
"That was amazing, truly amazing," Crabbe said of Naniseni's back-to-back aces to win the contest.
Falanika Danielson was the top hitter for the Trojans with a double-double of 19 kills and 14 digs. Aria Miller followed with 12 kills and 16 digs and Naniseni added 10 kills with four blocks and three aces.
Tayli Ikenaga led Na Menehune in the loss with 20 kills and 23 digs. Spencer also had double-digit kills for Moanalua with 14.
