After storming through the Oahu Interscholastic Association undefeated, the Moanalua boys volleyball team shows no signs of slowing down. Second-seeded Na Menehune delivered a commanding performance Wednesday night, sweeping Hawaii Baptist 25-15, 25-21, 25-21 in the quarterfinals of the New City Nissan/HHSAA Boys Volleyball State Championships at Moanalua.

Lionel Gannon led the charge with 19 kills on an impressive .424 hitting percentage, adding an ace, four digs, and 1.5 blocks. Jarryn McCutcheon chipped in 13 kills, while Taylor Chung contributed eight kills (.583) and 1.5 blocks. Setter Christian Cruz orchestrated the offense with 22 assists for Moanalua, now 15-6 overall.

"The entire week, we scouted HBA on video. They're really good. We had a pretty good matchup," said Gannon. "We were making sure we stay on their outside hitter Jason Rivers. He's really good. We weren't able to stop him completely, but we took away some of the momentum."

Moanalua's dominance extends beyond this season. The team went 13-0 in OIA play, capturing their seventh straight league title. Under head coach Alan Cabanting, Na Menehune have won 12 of the last 13 OIA championships. Gannon's steady, low-key approach has been a cornerstone of that success. "I try to make sure the energy is steady. We don't want any super high highs or super lows," he said.

Hawaii Baptist (12-9) fought hard, with Rivers posting 17 kills (.359) and Samuel Mokan adding 10. Henry Lee contributed seven kills and four digs, while Tanner Hankey led all players with 10 digs. Aaron Woolpert dished 17 assists and Cade Toyofuku tallied 13 assists and six digs.

"We want to come in here and be really aggressive, and we weren't always playing to win," said HBA coach Teoni Obrey. "Our margin for error is pretty small. Moanalua's athleticism is there with Punahou and Kamehameha. It's next level. They have a lot of volleyball talent. They play downhill."

The Eagles, who finished third in the ILH regular season at 6-4, earned their spot in the quarterfinals after a crucial two-day trip to the Big Island. They swept Keaau in a play-in match Friday, then swept Kamehameha-Hawaii in the opening round Saturday. Despite the loss, Obrey's squad showed the fight that has made them a perennial threat.

Cabanting, who once coached under Obrey at HBA, knew better than to underestimate his former mentor's team. "Teoni was the first coach that I was under. I was over at HBA for a while and a lot of what we do here mirrors what he does," he said. "How calm and positive he is with the guys, I try to emulate it."

With a raucous home crowd behind them, Moanalua advances to the Division I semifinals, keeping their state championship hopes alive. For a team that's been in "gangbusters mode" all season, the next challenge awaits.