Salt Lake, HI
The final play in the 2025 OIA D1 Girls Volleyball season came down to championship night in Salt Lake. The number one team in the East, Kahuku Red Raiders, faced off against the number two team and reigning OIA champs, Moanalua Na Menehune. Two teams that have a familiarity facing off twice in the regular season, ending the series at one a piece.
In an electric atmosphere, both teams fed off their crowds as set 1 was an all-out battle. The Lady Raiders would lead the set for most of the game, but when Moanalua found a gap in the game, they took it to their advantage. Moanalua would take set one and set the tone for what looked like a long night for the Lady Raiders.
Kahuku would answer right back in the second with a fast start of their own. The jitters settled down, and Kahuku stuck to what they did best all season. controlling the tempo of the game and taking jabs to slow down their opponents. That mentality would see Kahuku take set 2 and level out the playing field.
Set 3 was the pivotal set where it could have gone either way, and the reigning champs displayed their best to go up 2-1. High-flying offensive attacks, defensive dominance, and simple playmaking helped the lady menes take key points and favor their side in set 3. The fans were all rowdy, and the atmosphere was turning up for what looked like a Moanalua 2-peat title.
Kahuku’s only time that they faced elimination in the regular season was against the Lady Menes when they faced off in September in Salt Lake. An all too familiar situation that Kahuku has seen and been in. While the noise got louder for the Moanalua team, Kahuku silenced the crowd, and The Lady Raiders answered right back in set 4 to force a 5th set.
This would be only the second time Kahuku went to set 5, and an irony that it would be against the only team they went to five with in the championship match. In what could’ve been an all Kahuku in 5, Moanalua would answer right back, being down 10-5 and even out the game. Tension was rising, and Moanalua could almost sense that it was their game to take away. Kahuku would shut down any hopes for Menehune fans as Talia Solia-tui would call the game on the final kill of the set.
It would be Kahuku Junior OPP, Ana Kaufusi, and Sophomore OH, Makamae Schilling, who would make big offensive plays during crucial moments, where they would find themselves pulling away from the game.
Kahuku pulled off the late 5 set game and are your new 2025 OIA D1 Girls Volleyball Champions! Congratulations to the Kahuku Red Raiders Girls Volleyball program, school, and community!
Final Score: Kahuku 3 - Moanalua 2
Final Score: Kahuku 3 - Moanalua 2
24-26 I 25-20 I 24-26 I 25-19 I 15-12
For more pictures, head over to our photo gallery.
pictures taken by: Alan Velasco - @oscalev_
