Punahou got as far as it could, before a tough, four-day tournament schedule finally caught up.

Lara Dykstra had nine kills and Jessica Doerner six to help Redondo Union (Calif.) defeat Punahou, 25-19, 25-15, in last night's championship match of the Ann Kang Invitational Volleyball Tournament at 'Iolani.

The Sea Hawks finished the 16-team event, considered the state's premier preseason volleyball tournament, with a 9-0 record.

Punahou, which last won the tournament in 1996, finished 8-1. The Buffanblu were trying to become the first local team to win the tournament since Kamehameha in 2007.

"Set 1, we came out pumped up," said Juliana Behrens, who led Punahou with seven kills. "By Set 2, we lost all our energy. It was the end of the tournament and we gave it our all the past four days. It finally caught up with us."

Tai Manu-Olevao and Carina Thompson added six kills each for Punahou.

With the score 11-11 in Set 1, Manu-Olevao had back-to-back kills to give Punahou a 13-11 lead. Kills by Thompson and Behrens kept Punahou ahead 15-13, but a kill by Redondo Union's Arielle Manz and a Punahou hitting error tied it at 15. Punahou went ahead 17-16 on Behrens' kill, but the Sea Hawks went on a 9-2 run to take the set.

Holly Mosebar's kill made it 17-17 and Mosebar teamed with Blake O'Brien for a block to put Redondo ahead 21-17. Manz's step-out kill ended the set.

"Our blocking, our middle Arielle Manz and rightside Jessica Doerner, they pulled through. They were in their spots and got a bunch of blocks and helped our team pull ahead," Dykstra said.

Niki Collier had a service ace and served nine straight points for the Sea Hawks to start Set 2.

Collier's service error gave Punahou its first point and Manu-Olevao's kill cut the deficit to 9-2. But the Buffanblu couldn't get closer than seven points the rest of the match.

Still, the Buffanblu came together over the course of the tournament and adjusted to each other.

"The building with our team was awesome," Behrens said. "We're playing with new players and positions we haven't played in before.

"I'm playing a new position (outside hitter) and everyone got comfortable with each other."

'Iolani defeated Kahuku, 25-13, 25-18, in the third-place match.

Farrington defeated Hawai'i Baptist, 15-25, 25-19, 15-13 in the silver bracket final. Moanalua swept Moloka'i, 25-14, 25-18, to win the bronze bracket final and Mid-Pacific held off Kaiser, 25-20, 27-25, to take the flight bracket final.

The tournament is named after Kang, the longtime 'Iolani teacher and coach who started the school's girls athletics program.

Kang led the Raiders to their only girls volleyball state title in 2001. She passed away in 2003. Her husband, Alan, and son, Barry, presented awards last night.