Kamehameha coach Guy Kaniho knew the key to his team returning to the New City Nissan/HHSAA Boys Volleyball Division I state championship game.

As Micah Christenson goes, so go the Warriors.

“;Micah's going to take us to the final dance, the last dance,”; Kaniho said he told his team before yesterday's semifinal match against 'Iolani.

Kaniho put the proverbial saddle on Christenson's slender back, and the 6-foot-5 junior responded with a jaw-dropping performance, swinging from all over the court and playing superb defense in the back row.

The two-sport star put on a show with 28 kills as his right arm powered Kamehameha to a 24-26, 25-20, 25-15, 25-16 win over 'Iolani with University of Hawaii women's volleyball coach Dave Shoji, UH men's assistant coach Dan Fisher and former UH men's assistant coach Tino Reyes watching in the Kaimuki High School gym.

“;Great players step it up to another level, and that was just a prime example of that,”; said 'Iolani coach Mike Among. “;We had a good block, ... but he just went up and over. He played smart. We knew they were going to go to him, and we just couldn't stop him.”;

“;I love it,”; Christenson said with an ear-to-ear grin. “;I want to be the go-to guy, rise and fall with the team.”;

The third-ranked Warriors advance to today's Division I championship game against top-ranked and unbeaten Punahou. The match, a rematch of last year's title game that Punahou won, starts at 7 p.m. at McKinley High School.

Second-ranked 'Iolani (20-3) swept Kamehameha in the two Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular-season meetings. Both times, Kaniho bemoaned his team's mental fortitude as the culprit for those losses.

Yesterday, Kamehameha (19-4) could have easily folded again.

In the first set, Kamehemeha erased an early four-point deficit and eventually took an 18-16 lead thanks to back-to-back hitting errors by 'Iolani's Colin Tseng. But the Warriors' own hitting errors (one each by Christenson and Kalei Kaaiai) and two serving errors (Christenson and senior libero Michael Wasko) gave the Raiders a 23-21 advantage.

After Kamehameha fought to knot the score at 24, the Warriors committed two frustrating plays to hand the first-set win to 'Iolani. Christenson made an incredible dig on a hard-hit ball from 'Iolani middle Tyler Cundiff, but Kamehameha's Jaylen Reyes netted on the block, taking a scoring opportunity away from Kamehameha. On the next play, Kamehameha setter Daylan Chock gave Rhett Kane a quick set in the middle, but Kane was already swinging behind Chock to hit from the right side. The set fell harmlessly to the court and gave 'Iolani the win.

That frustrating loss could have buried Kamehameha, but instead the Warriors responded with that mental toughness their coach has been begging for all season.

“;We came in with the mind-set that we were the underdogs,”; Kaniho said. “;That wasn't the case in the first two matches. With that in mind, we said we have nothing to lose, the pressure's on them. We just needed to go out there and execute our game plan.”;

That game plan was to go to Christenson early and often as he carried the Warriors to the victory. In the second set, he recorded three of the final five kills to pull out the victory. In Game 3, his four straight kills broke open a 17-14 lead as Kamehameha finished on a 10-2 run to close the set. In Set 4, his four early kills erased a 7-1 hole as the Warriors turned that deficit into a 20-12 advantage and an easy win.

And as the Kamehameha star celebrated the win with a huge smile, he was already looking ahead to today's championship match against Punahou.

“;I've been real focused coming into this tournament,”; Christenson said. “;I've been feeling real good. Hopefully I feel like that (today).”;

Punahou def. Waiakea 25-9, 25-19, 25-16

Outside hitter Henry Cassiday posted 17 kills with a .419 hitting percentage in a sweep of the Warriors last night at McKinley High School gym. Punahou's offense minimized hitting errors in the semifinal match and finished with a .427 hitting percentage as a team.

Clayton Morante Jr. led Waiakea with six kills.

CONSOLATION
Baldwin def. Pearl City 18-25, 25-19, 15-13
Kamehameha-Hawaii def. Roosevelt 25-20, 17-25, 15-11

DIVISION II

Pahoa def. Hawaii Baptist 21-25, 31-29, 21-25, 25-23, 15-12

In a championship-worthy match, the underdogs of Pahoa toppled two-time defending state champion Hawaii Baptist last night at Kaimuki High School gym.

The Eagles were without all-state outside hitter Ryan Leung, who didn't suit up for the game after violating a team rule.

The Daggers will take on the Spartans of Seabury Hall in the Division II state championship today.

Seabury Hall def. Moanalua 25-22, 25-18, 25-16

The Spartans routed Na Menehune last night in the Division II semifinal match at Farrington High School gym. Seabury Hall will face Pahoa in the state championship today, while Moanalua will play Hawaii Baptist in the third-place match.

CONSOLATION
Waipahu def. Waimea 25-17, 25-15
Hawaii Prep def. Kohala 22-25, 30-28, 19-17