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Show 7 April 25, 201'1 / nit: SET SPIKE! U.S. Air Force Indoor Volleyball Teams practice at Hill, as Armed Forces championships set to begin May 2 BY MARY Lou GORNY Hilltop Times editor T wenty-two Airmen are hitting the volleyball courts hard at Hill AFB's Warrior Fitness Center. With ten members of the Air Force Women's Volleyball team on one side of the main basketball court and 12 on the Men's Volleyball team hard at it, their coaches are preparing them for the Armed Forces Men's and Women's Indoor Volleyball Championship May 8-12. May 3-5 is the beach volleyball competition. Katie Kimmich, women's coach for the indoor team, expressed great confidence in her team. "We're very excited for the opportunity to bring home the trophy again this year," she said. Kimmel played for Pepperdine University four years and played on the national team for five years. She has been the assistant coach previously for the women's indoor team. Lani Kekahuna, coach for the men's indoor team, coached regularly for Air Force international play in a league in which volleyball is played year-round. She was also previously an assistant coach for the men's team. "It's a tough team this year to pick the starters," she said as the final candidates are all so strong. Kekahuna coached overseas as her family was stationed in Germany with her husband serving in the Air Force. He has since retired. She is looking forward to the competition and going for gold. Everyone with base access is welcome to attend any of the games to cheer on the teams, said Carey Karger, Fitness Center director. Both teams are practicing twice a day, and making sure players have the level of preparation and skills needed to compete. "We do eight hour days, four hours in the morning, two hour lunch and then four hours in the late afternoon," said Kekahuna. The women practice three hours in the morning, and two hours in the afternoon. "We're doing most of our jumping and scrimmaging in the morning," said Kimmich. As the two look forward to competition they both hope that members of the Air Force come out to support them for their games. They will be playing early in the week, Thursday, May 8, at 8:30 a.m. and then both teams play again Sunday, May 12 at 2 p.m. for the final games of the competition. Each team plays each other twice in the competition. Said Kekahuna, "It would be nice to see a bunch of young players coming out here to See Hill AFB has received recognition for its efforts to maintain such a large number of trees from the Arbor Day Foundation. This is the 20th consecutive year the base has received such recognition. BARBARA FISHER U.S. Air Force VOLLEYBALL I SENIOR AIRMAN ALLEN STOKES/U.S. Air Force Above, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan Wehrman sets a ball during practice on April 15, at Hill Air Force Base. The U.S. Air Force Men's and Women's Volleyball Teams are practicing at Hill for the upcoming Armed Forces Volleyball tournament where they will be competing against the Army, Navy and Marines. U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Carly Lacey sets up Senior Airman Shaun Williams for a hit as the women's team practices on April 17. AIRMAN 1ST CLASS JUSTYN M. FREEMAN U.S. Air Force page 8 Hill AFB Tree City USA for 20th consecutive year BY BARBARA FISHER 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs H ill Air Force Base received national recognition last week, but not for what one might expect. This recognition came from the Arbor Day Foundation for being "green" and be- ing named as a Tree City USA for the 20th year in a row. On its 6,600-plus acres, Hill AFB has more than 13,000 trees of 92 different species, valued at approximately $17 million dollars. According to Russ Lawrence, the base's natural resources program manager, these trees are used to not only provide beauty, but to provide shade, help conserve energy, provide windbreaks, help clean the air, See TREE I page 9 |