Aiea slams Leilehua
in OIA West

The No. 8 Aiea girls volleyball team passed two tests yesterday to prove that it is still the class of the OIA West.

The first exam was the early-morning SAT, which a good number of Na Alii (8-0) took. The second was their final regular-season road match, which they passed with flying colors in a 25-15, 25-12 victory at Leilehua (3-5).

"We're happy with the win," said Aiea head coach Blythe Yamamoto. "Our intensity could have been better, but we had a lot of kids taking the SATs this morning. We know we have to be mentally prepared for every match."

One Na Alii who didn't seem to show any signs of mental fatigue was 5-foot-11 junior Lelani Kleman-Maeva, who torched the Mules for a match-high 13 kills as Aiea remained the only undefeated team in the West division.

Aiea scored the first three points of the afternoon before Leilehua was able to record its first score. After falling behind 7-1, the Mules put together a run, closing the gap to 7-4 on an Aiea ball-handling error. From there, Na Alii senior setter Shareyn Muneoka made a habit of finding Kleman-Maeva, who registered Aiea's next two points on kills.

Kleman-Maeva finished the first game with eight kills, while Muneoka had the Aiea attack clicking with 13 assists. Returning OIA West All-Stars Marissa Komomua and Konae Purcell added three kills apiece.

"Everyone in our division knows about our big hitters in Konae and Lelani," Yamamoto said, "Our other girls have been stepping it up and making a big difference."

Aiea's steady defense and Kleman-Maeva's dominance proved to be the difference in the second game, as Na Alii came from behind to take the match in convincing fashion.

"That was our goal coming into this season, getting on a roll going into the playoffs," Yamamoto said. "We are starting to play better. Our defense and chemistry is getting better every day."