Kalaheo's Syenna Masaki and Samantha Pollard attempt to block a kill attempt by Kamehameha-Maui's Selai Damuni. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Kalaheo's Syenna Masaki and Samantha Pollard attempt to block a kill attempt by Kamehameha-Maui's Selai Damuni. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Kalaheo used a strong serving game and a big block to down KS-Maui in straight sets in the first round of the New City Nissan/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I Volleyball Championships.

Syenna Masaki registered a match-high 16 kills and Siani Yamaguchi chipped in eight kills, 13 assists, and three block assists to lead the Mustangs over the Warriors, 25-18, 25-15, 25-20 at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium Wednesday night.

The Mustangs move on to face Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion and top-seeded Iolani in the quarterfinal round.

Kalaheo excelled in the serving department and finished with 11 total aces, with most of them coming during the team's longest runs. Yamaguchi led the way with a match-high four aces.

"We wanted to at it strong," Kalaheo coach Roberta Downey said on her team's serving. "We knew that serving was part of our strengths and we wanted to go after."

KS-Maui, the Maui Interscholastic League runner-up, got out of rhythm early and committed five errors to face a 10-3 hole in the opening set.

"Our ball control kind of went away from us," said KS-Maui coach Charles Spencer. "We couldn't control the ball on our side of the net and we played tentative. We were a little too scared to make mistakes."

The Warriors fought back to cut the deficit to five, 15-10, but had issues dealing with Kalaheo's front line. Samantha Pollard combined for a block with Yamaguchi and had a solo block of her own for the next two points to regain the serve for Kalaheo. The Mustangs' lead later grew to 10 after two aces by Yamaguchi and a KS-Maui attack error.

"We tried to hit around them and hit throng them, but it didn't work," said Spencer. "They're big block and they do what they do best.

"We have another team in the MIL that has a big block and that's King Kekaulike. As big as they are, (Kalaheo's) one is bigger."

The Mustangs combined for seven total team blocks in the match.

KS-Maui would not go down without a fight however. Although they had issues in the second set, the Warriors scrapped their way back from an early deficit in the first and third set to make things interesting late.

Kalaheo had set point in the opening frame, 24-13, after a Masaki kill. The Warriors roared back with five straight points to cut it to six before Masaki's attack ended the game.

In the third set Kalaheo had a 21-11 lead, but gave up seven straight points to make it a three-point game. Kills from Yamaguchi and Masaki helped Kalaheo fend off the late rally and a solo block from Violet Subee clinched the match.

"It's the chemistry and the bond that we have that kept us together," said Masaki.

Libero Bobbi Anduha also played a big role in the Mustangs' victory. The 5-foot-2 senior had eight total digs that helped limit the Warriors' attack in the second set.

"Bobbi is our best defensive player and we count on her a lot," Masaki said on Anduha.

Kara Lee Davis and Kylee Yamashita led the Warriors with seven kills each. KS-Maui setter Danielle Brown chipped in 24 assists and nine digs in the loss.