Kamehameha overcame a scrappy Maryknoll defense, bringing height and power to the net as the undefeated Warriors swept the Spartans 25-19, 25-17 yesterday afternoon in an ILH match at new Clarence T.C. Ching Gym in Makiki.

Senior outside hitter Taylor Akana had a game-high eight kills, while junior middle blocker Talia Jardin-Fermentez added five more for the second-ranked Warriors (8-0) en route to the conference victory.

Capri Tirrell led the way for the Spartans (5-3) with a team-high seven kills.

The first game started as a seesaw affair, as the Spartans spread distribution well and kept the Warriors off balance. Maryknoll evened the score twice, at 15 and 17, but Kamehameha adjusted for altitude and hit over the spirited Spartans block.

“;Maryknoll is a very good defensive squad and they made us work hard for it today,”; said Warriors coach Chris Blake. “;Their balance of attack threw us out of rhythm early on and we had to adjust. Our girls responded and I give them credit. I thought that Taylor Akana stepped it up and set the tone for our team. The rest seemed to follow once she took charge.”;

But in the end, height had its advantage.

Maryknoll head coach Lee Lamb acknowledged his team's gutsy effort, but when all was said and done, the Spartans were super-sized.

“;They are bigger, so we had to pass a lot and try to exploit open spots when we could,”; said Lamb. “;It worked at times. We'd double-up on one of their girls, but that's hard when they bring height all across the net.”;