Kamehameha became the first Hawai'i team to win the Ann Kang Invitational Volleyball Tournament in 10 years, defeating Redondo Union (Calif.) 25-19, 25-22 last night at 'Iolani.

Pearl City was the last local team to win the prestigious girls volleyball tournament that attracts top teams from Hawai'i and California. Kamehameha last won in 1992.

"We always say the strength of our team is our team," Kamehameha coach Chris Blake said. "We had a great team effort. We're still working on a lot of the kinks and things we got to do in the preseason, but it was a great team effort and we're very happy with it."

The Warriors, ranked fifth nationally in the PrepVolley ball.com's preseason poll, dominated in the first set against the Seahawks before withholding a late challenge in the second set.

"It was a challenge that we were willing to take," Kamehameha's Kanani Herring, reigning Advertiser Player of the Year, said of the four-day, 20-team tournament. "We have a couple new girls and we just wanted to get everybody in it. A lot of us were on club season and some of us were getting ready for school, so we all just melded together."

A 4-0 start in the second game proved to be enough of a lead for Kamehameha, the two-time defending state champion, to hold off Redondo Union. The Seahawks tied the game four times down the stretch, the last at 19-19, but Bekah Torres' back-to-back kills put Kamehameha ahead for good.

"We're proud of the fact that we rallied back to 19-all," Redondo Union coach Tom Chaffins said. "But Kamehameha made some plays at the end, we didn't and we probably had the same opportunities as they had. They converted, we didn't."

Less than three hours before the championship match, Kamehameha beat Redondo Union 23-25, 25-15, 25-18 to advance to the final.

While some teams started their preseason at 'Iolani, teams like Moloka'i and Kaua'i wrapped up their second straight weekend of play. Both were in last week's 24-team Kaua'i Challenge.

"We wanted to get in as much preseason as possible before our season," said Moloka'i coach Matt Helm. "You see what it's about and the girls understand what it takes to get to that level."

Kaua'i senior Kara Cummings said the team looks forward to competing and travelling during the preseason. Kaua'i returns Friday for a tournament at McKinley.

"We bond more and we get a lot out of it," Cummings said. "We get to know each other, bond and we look forward to it."