PUKALANI, Maui — It may have been the biggest boys volleyball win in the history of Lahainaluna High School.

It is certain that no one in the King Kekaulike gym could remember a bigger one than the Lunas' 25-22, 19-25, 25-23 victory over Kalaheo in the first round of the New City Nissan Division I State Championships last night.

When Paul Salvador — one of only three returnees from last season for the Lunas — pushed a dink over the net that the Mustangs could not handle on the final point, Lahainaluna had its first state-tournament victory since at least 1984, the last time they were in the state tournament until they went 0-2 last season.

''I think that is the school's first state-tournament win,'' coach Tommy Akima said to The Maui News. ''I know we didn't win last year and I know we haven't been here since 1984 before last year and I don't think they won any then.''

Salvador, who will attend Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore., in the fall to play basketball, had seven kills and 10 assists. The Maui Interscholastic League Division I Basketball Player of the Year said yesterday's win was the most significant he has been part of at the West Maui school.

''It is big for our school, for sure,'' Salvador said. ''Everybody said it is our first win in volleyball at states, so I think it is our biggest win in this sport ever.''

The Lunas (6-5), the MIL runner-up, were forced to outscrap the much bigger Mustangs (10-6).

Lahainaluna has one player listed on its roster as taller than 5-foot-10 — 6-1 Jayson Manning, who finished with a team-high three blocks.

The Mustangs, who finished third in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association, list eight players 6-0 or taller, topped out by 6-5 Giovanni Wozniak, who, like many of his teammates, sported a mohawk hairstyle.

''They are scrappers, no doubt about it,'' Kalaheo coach Gavin Cook said of the Lunas, who face top-seeded and three-time defending champion Punahou (16-0) in the quarterfinals today at 5:30 p.m. at King Kekaulike. ''Maybe our boys were a little overconfident when we saw how small they were, but I told my guys, 'These guys have the home court and they are going to come out fighting.' They did.

''I always hate to lose, but the Lunas deserved it. Their athleticism, especially (Salvador) and Bryson (Williams), they just covered the court so well. There were a lot of balls we thought were going down that they just wouldn't let drop.''

The match was a back-and-forth affair all night. The Lunas bounded out to a 17-10 lead in Game 1 before the Mustangs cut it to 17-16. A kill by Salvador pushed the Lunas' lead back to two.

A kill by Kalaheo's Pono Wong, who had a match-high 13 on the night, tied it at 22-22 before a crucial net violation call on Kalaheo gave the Lunas a lead before two more Kalaheo mistakes gave the Lunas the game.

An ace by Lahainaluna's Isaiah Santiago made it 5-2 Lunas in the second game, but the Mustangs took control from there and back-to-back kills by 6-3 setter/outside hitter Christian Kepa made it 11-7 Kalaheo. The Mustangs controlled the second game from there and looked like they were taking all of the momentum into the final set.

It was the Lunas, however, who opened a 4-0 lead on three straight service winners by freshman Luke Williams, who finished with six assists. The Mustangs caught the Lunas at 5-5 and 6-6 before a dump shot by Tonga Kafoa gave the Lunas a 7-6 lead they would not relinquish.

A kill and then an ace by Salvador made it 17-13 Lunas and Kalaheo would get no closer than two after that. Williams, who had a team-high nine kills, had four in the final game.

''I have three returnees and then nine guys who are football and basketball guys who are just athletes,'' Akima said. ''They are just a bunch of scrappy guys. They didn't give up and it just seems like they like to be under pressure.''

After opening a 24-20 lead in the final game, the Lunas let the Mustangs back into the contest with three straight points. That is when Noe Akima, the coach's wife, had her say.

''She just told them they have worked too hard, come too far to let it slip away now,'' Tommy Akima said. ''They listened.''

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