Punahou dominates Kamehameha to secure 17th state title

Jaden Ing | SL

It was a title defense in every sense of the word.

Punahou parlayed a well-oiled offense with an equal dominant defense to a leave-no-doubt 17-4 win over Kamehameha in the title game of the HHSAA Girls Water Polo State Championships.

Synnove Robinson scored 6 goals and Hope McCarren added 4 more, backing a defense that consistently limited the Warriors from getting into any kind of flow on the other side of the pool.

"Our team defense is really hard to play against because we're all on like the same page," said Robinson. "It's hard to play against (a team) that's on the same page and everyone is working together."

The Buffanblu have won 17 titles overall, and this vicotry was the second consecutive after the Warriors had won back-to-back crowns of their own from 2023-24.

2026 HHSAA Girls Water Polo State Championships All-Tournament Team
(as selected by the HHSAA and media)

Ava Aguilera, Punahou
Kaia Chaney, Punahou
Norah King, Kaiser (Goalie)
Hope McCarren, Punahou
Kawena Neumann, Kamehameha
La’ila’ikuhonua Ka’opua Winchester, Kamehameha
La’ikuakamahina Wong, Kamehameha

Most Outstanding Player: Synnove Robinson, Punahou

"We put in all this work these past two years, and just coming back and getting that state championship again it means everything to us, especially for as seniors," said Hope McCarren.

It was a fast start for Punahou, to say the least, as it jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first, and led by eight at half. The duo of Robinson and McCarren running the show at the top was simply unguardable at times, and ultimately opened up things near the goal.

The prettiest goal of the evening may have belonged to Kamehameha's Ava Carlson, on a backhanded shot that found the back of the net as the shot clock expired in the the opening moments of the third, but that circus shot was one of only a few bright spots for the ILH runners up.

As Kamehameha would maybe attest, there may have only been 7 in the pool for Punahou, but it might have felt more like 13.

"Coach Ken's motto is you always guard two people so that's what we did tonight," explained Ava Aguilera, who added two goals to the total on offense. "You're always hustling, your head's on a swivel, you're everywhere on defense."

And that they were, with a litany of possession changes due to stolen balls, and no less than three shots with pace at the net that never even reached the keeper.

Punahou won all four meetings against Kamehameha this season, and scored at least 10 goals in each instance. In fact, the Buffanblu hit double digit goals in all 16 wins on the year, and won by a margin of 10 goals in all but two of them.

Five seniors played their last matches for Punahou, Robinson, McCarren, Aguilera, Izzy Nieling and Bella Nicolai.