Roosevelt rebounded from a lackluster performance Monday to sweep previously unbeaten Kamehameha-Hawai'i, 25-21, 25-18, yesterday in the quarterfinals of the HHSAA/NewCityNissan.com Girls Division I Volleyball State Tournament.

The Rough Riders (15-2) will play Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion and No. 1 seed Kamehameha (16-1) in tonight's feature semifinal at 8. Iolani (17-1) will play O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion and No. 2 seed Kahuku (15-1) in the first semifinal at 6:30.

Both matches will be televised live on OC-16 from Kamehameha's Kekuhaupi'o Fieldhouse.

Yesterday at Kekuhaupi'o, OIA runner-up Roosevelt looked like a different team from the one that struggled to a three-game first-round victory over 'Aiea.

After falling behind 21-20 in the first game yesterday, the Rough Riders scored five straight points and ended it on a kill by Jacey Tagavilla. They then carried that momentum into the second game, going up 16-15 on a serving error and holding the lead the rest of the way.

Roosevelt again finished strong, scoring five of the last six points.

"Yesterday, we didn't play like we wanted to be here, but today we showed that we did," said Rough Riders senior outside hitter Justiana "Honey-Girl" Kalilimoku, who finished with a match-high 11 kills and three blocks. "We just have to keep pushing hard."

Unlike Monday, when Roosevelt built a seemingly comfortable 23-15 lead in the third game only to see Na Ali'i roar back and close it to 24-22, the Rough Riders flexed their muscles yesterday when given the opportunity to put it away. And they did it against a team that won the Big Island Interscholastic Federation title with a 16-0 record.

"They wanted it today, they were fired up," Roosevelt coach Bryan Camello said of his team. "They were focused and came out with good motivation."

Camello said tonight will be the Rough Riders' first state semifinal appearance in his eight years with the program, and Kalilimoku said a key is their ability to get along.

"This team is a lot closer than last year's," she said. "We're all friends, and that makes it easier to talk to each other when things are going wrong."

KAMEHAMEHA DEF. MOANALUA: Bekah Torres had eight kills and two aces and Kanani Herring added seven kills and three blocks as the Warriors held off the hard-charging Menehunes, 28-26, 25-21. Moanalua served for game point three times before a kill by Herring, a Menehunes error and Tehane Kahalehau's kill ended it for Kamehameha. In the second game, the Warriors jumped to a 19-9 lead, but Moanalua closed to 23-20 before a serving error put Kamehameha up 24-20. After Briana Amian's kill made it 24-21, Deven Bukoski finally ended it on a kill down the middle. The Warriors won despite a match-high 15 kills by the Menehunes' Kaleinani Kabalis.

IOLANI DEF. KAMEHAMEHA-MAUI: Leinani Keanini had 11 kills and Megan Burton added eight kills and three blocks to lead the Raiders past the No. 3 seed and Maui Interscholastic League champion Warriors, 25-14, 25-22. Iolani started the match with a 6-1 run and cruised to a game 1 victory, but Kamehameha-Maui made things interesting in the second game by using a 6-2 run to take a 19-16 lead. The Raiders answered with five straight points, but the Warriors tied it at 22. Iolani then completed the sweep with solo blocks by Burton and Miyoko Pettit and Burton's kill off a block.

KAHUKU DEF. KALANI: Leilani Tafuna had eight kills and two aces and Camilla Ah-Hoy added seven kills and three blocks to lead the Red Raiders past their OIA East rival Falcons, 25-15, 25-21. Kahuku used a 5-0 run to build a 17-11 lead and never looked back in the first game. Kalani stayed as close as 22-21 in the second game, but the Red Raiders ended it with two kills by Tafuna and one by Ah-Hoy.

CONSOLATION BRACKET

'AIEA DEF. MAUI: Lelani Kleman-Maeva had 18 kills and nine digs to lead Na Ali'i to a 25-19, 25-16 victory over the Sabers in a consolation bracket match.

TOKUMURA UTAH-BOUND

Iolani School senior Hennasea Tokumura said she will sign a letter of intent today to play basketball for the University of Utah. Tokumura, a 5-foot-3 point guard, was a first-team Interscholastic League of Honolulu all-star the past two seasons and an All-State second-team selection last year. Tokumura said she turned down full scholarship offers from Santa Clara, Rice, William and Mary, Weber State, Montana and Seattle Pacific. "I felt the most comfortable with Utah," she said. Also, fellow Iolani senior Megan Burton will sign a letter of intent today to play volleyball for St. Mary's (Calif.). Burton, a 6-2 middle blocker, played two seasons at Sacred Hearts before sitting out last season as a transfer to Iolani.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.