Amanda Tonga's universe just grew a little larger.

The 6-foot-1 junior has been a steady component of Kahuku's unblemished season. Yesterday, the Red Raiders did some tinkering with Tonga and came away with a hard-earned 23-25, 25-14, 25-13, 26-27, 15-9 win over Farrington at Richard Kitamura Memorial Fieldhouse.

Fourth-ranked Kahuku completed the regular season with a 12-0 mark in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red East. Farrington (7-5), which had already claimed a playoff berth, finished in fourth place. When the playoffs start on Wednesday, Kahuku will have a first-round bye.

With the top seed in the East sewn up, Kahuku coach Uila Fotu Vendiola put some different schemes on the hardwood for yesterday's match. Tonga, normally a middle blocker, saw action on the right side in the new look during Games 1 and 4—the sets that Kahuku lost narrowly.

In the fifth set, with Tonga back in the middle, Kahuku's engine hummed. Tonga had two aces to spark Kahuku to a 9-5 lead. Farrington got a kill by Brydgette Tatupu-Leopoldo, a block by Keui Remigio and an ace from Tatupu-Leopoldo to pull within 9-8.

Fotu Vendiola called timeout.

“;Coach said, 'Stay calm, play your game,'”; Tonga said. “;We had to just finish it.”;

Elizabeth Blake cranked a kill down the middle and teamed with Tonga for a block to increase Kahuku's lead to 12-8. Remigio answered with a kill from the right side, but the visitors closed out the match with three points in a row. Blake had another kill, and Nile Te'o pounded a kill off a block.

“;We gave them a run. It was a good team effort,”; Farrington coach Reagan Agena said. “;I think they got a little too excited after the first game.”;

The Governors regained their balance in the fourth set, rallying from a 22-17 deficit. A kill by Valerie Lesu and a block by Desiree Klemin fueled a 10-4 run. Kahuku helped out by committing three hitting errors, one serving miscue and two violations during that stretch. Tatupu-Leopoldo closed out the fourth set with an ace.

Kahuku seized control in the final set, but the Govs still came away with some momentum. Pushing the Red Raiders to five games is a far cry from their first meeting on Sept. 11, a three-set sweep at Kahuku.

“;They left everything on the court and we had some key subs like Desiree with some blocks and points,”; Agena said. “;After today, everyone goes back to zero. It's a brand new season.”;