Kalaheo outside hitter Syenna Masaki knocked in a game-high 17 kills for the Mustangs in a match against Radford. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Radford's Breayna Webster led the Rams with a team-highs 12 kills, 2 aces and 2 block assists. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Kalaheo players celebrate after a five-set win over Radford. The Mustangs will play the Rams again in a winner-take-all match on Saturday at McKinley High gymnasium. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Kalaheo's perseverance paid off tonight.

After losing to Radford in the first winner's bracket final last Thursday and bouncing back from the consolation bracket with a victory over Roosevelt on Tuesday, the Mustangs redeemed themselves tonight in five sets over the Rams 16-25, 27-25, 20-25, 25-17 and 15-13.

Due to double-elimination in the Oahu Interscholastic Association White division championship, the Mustangs did not take the OIA White crown just yet. They play the Radford Rams one more time in a winner-take-all match on Saturday at 3 p.m. in McKinley High gymnasium.

Despite the sporadic appearance of junior outside hitter Taylor Bitanga on the court, who suffered a head injury in the previous game according to head coach Roberta Downey, the Kalaheo Mustangs saw underclassman Siani Yamaguchi help lead the Mustangs to victory over the Rams.

The sophomore setter assisted teammates Syenna Masaki, who recorded a game-high 17 kills, and Alexandria Jacobsen with 10 kills.

Yamaguchi's favorite down the center was middle Dominike Joseph, who had 5 kills on the night, which showed in the second set during a 5-1 closing run that shut the Rams out of winning the set after filling an earlier 8-point deficit.

"In the second set, we decided to run a five-one," said head coach Downey. "We've never done it (before) and we wanted to see what would happen."

Yamaguchi assisted Syenna Masaki on the outside and Joseph in the center for 2-0 to tie the score 24-24 which forced a Radford timeout. After the timeout Yamaguchi set both Joseph and Masaki respectively again for a 2-1 edge to take the lead, 26-25, a hitting error by the Rams following closed out the second set for the Mustangs, 27-25.

"She's by far has the best connection with all our hitters," Downey said of Yamaguchi.

"She leads, she's not afraid to push, she's not afraid to talk, not afraid to get excited… she leads just by example."

However, an abundance of errors plagued both teams throughout the game giving both sides gains and losses in leads over each other.

"I was just thinking to myself play hard and get the next ball and it's ok to make a mistake just shake it off and hit the next one," said Siani Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi and the Kalaheo Mustangs came back strong with a win for ever set they lost to the Radford Rams. In the final set, Yamaguchi looked for Masaki, who scored 4 out of her 17 total kills in set five, to end the set and match in a striking fashion.

Kalaheo's Shauntay Sugse recorded a game-high 3 service aces to help the Mustangs.

Radford's Breayna Webster led the Rams with a team-highs 12 kills, 2 aces, and 2 block assists, followed by Arianna Feleti who knocked in 10 kills for her team.

Both Kalaheo and Radford have secured state berths into the HHSAA Division II state tournament including Roosevelt — who came in 3rd of the OIA White Conference championship.

Kalaheo and Radford will play again in a winner-take-all match on Saturday at 3 p.m. in McKinley High gymnasium.