Air Force women first, men second in armed forces volleyball

  • Published
  • By Steve Brown
  • Air Force Services Agency
FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. (AFPN) --  The Air Force women’s team took top honors and the men's team came in second at the 2006 Armed Forces Volleyball Championship here May 11 to 18.

The Air Force women faced the host Army team in their first match, beating them three straight games -- 25-13, 25-16 and 25-13.

Kristin Huitt (a 2nd lieutenant from Vance Air Force Base, Okla.) directed the attack with 34 assists. Molly Stowers (a 2nd lieutenant from Eglin AFB, Fla.) had 14 kills, while Alice Bartek (a 2nd lieutenant from Aviano Air Base, Italy) added eight.

Dawn Rawlins (a captain from Patrick AFB, Fla.) and Shaylor Billings (a captain from Vance AFB) each had seven kills in this three-game match. Huitt, Rawlins and Gina Marino (a 1st lieutenant from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.) each had two aces.

The Air Force women won their second match of the day by defeating the Marines 25-18, 19-25, 25-13 and 25-21. Huitt again balanced the attack with 41 assists. Stowers had 13 kills, while Rawlins and Billings both had 12.
 
Navy started play on the second day by defeating the Army 25-19, 25-13, 19-25 and 25-13. They then played Air Force in a tough five-game match. Navy took the first game 25-20, but the Air Force came back behind Huitt’s 11 assists and Bartek’s seven kills in the second game.

Stowers served seven straight points, including three aces in this pivotal 25-16 game. The Air Force lost the third game 24-26, before coming back to win the final two games 25-16 and 15-11. Defensive specialist Monika Johncour (a 1st lieutenant from Randolph AFB, Texas) had countless digs and excellent passes in this match.

The third day of competition had the Navy defeating the Marine Corps 25-18, 25-16 and 25-20. Air Force then dispatched the Army women in like fashion, 25-16, 25-23 and 25-19. Huitt had 31 assists while Rawlins had 13 kills. The Air Force women then beat the Marine Corps 25-20, 25-12 and 25-21, with Billings leading the team will 10 kills.

The final day opened with the tournament’s deciding match between 5-0 Air Force and 4-1 Navy. The Air Force won the first game 25-21, which included two serving aces from Cassie Sepulveda (a staff sergeant from Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland), Huitt’s 12 assists, Stowers' seven kills and Rawlins' six kills. The trend continued in the second game with Huitt’s 13 assists, Bartek’s seven kills and Johncour’s point-saving digs and passes. Air Force won 25-22. The third and final game ended with Marino’s firm block, squashing Navy’s hopes with a final score of 25-22.

Final records in the women’s championship were Air Force 6-0, Navy 4-2, Army 2-4, and Marine Corps 0-6.

Four of the six starters on the Air Force women's team were named to the seven-player all-tournament team. Johncour was named the best “libero” (defensive specialist); Huitt, best setter; Rawlins, best opposite hitter; and Stowers, top middle. Based on availability, Stowers, Marino and Sepulveda will remain on site to train and participate in the 2006 Conseil International du Sport Militarire Volleyball Championship, scheduled here June 9 to 21.

On the first day of play in the men's tournament, Army beat Air Force in five games -- 25-18, 25-22, 20-25, 18-25 and 15-13. Jamie Cummins (a technical sergeant from Eglin AFB) directed the Air Force attack with 38 assists. Chris Rice (a captain at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas) had 14 kills, while Thomas Klemas (a major at Hanscom AFB, Mass.) and Steven Lorenzo (a staff sergeant at Hickam AFB, Hawaii) had 13 and 10 respectively.

The Air Force then beat the Marine Corps 25-20, 25-18, 23-25 and 25-16. Cummins had 38 assists and Lorenzo led the team with 12 kills. Both Klemas and Miguel Garcia (a captain from Patrick AFB) had nine kills, while Kaialii Kahele (a captain at Hickam AFB) had eight. Defensive specialist Aaron Lacar (a 1st lieutenant at Hill AFB, Utah) contributed many saves during this match and throughout the tournament.
 
In tournament play on day two, the Navy bounced back from a loss to Army by defeating Air Force 28-26, 25-20 and 25-21. Cummins had 27 assists, Kahele 11 kills and Garcia seven point-gaining blocks, but their efforts fell short.

The Marines opened the second round of the double round-robin tournament with a 25-22, 25-23 and 25-22 win over Navy. The Air Force men once again came out on the short end when the team lost a close match to Army -- 25-20, 21-25, 25-21 and 25-19.

Shawn Manning (a staff sergeant from Luke AFB, Ariz.) entered the second game as the primary setter and had 25 assists in the final three games. Rice had 13 kills while Lorenzo had five point-gaining blocks. 

The Air Force men returned to their winning ways over the Marine Corps. The first game was a close 29-27 win, followed by a 22-25 loss. The team then won the remaining two games 25-9 and 25-22. Manning had 41 assists in this match, while Klemas had 12 kills, four blocks and three serving aces. Garcia had 12 kills and five blocks, Miguel Vallejo (a senior airman at Hickam AFB) had nine kills and Kevin Szymanski (a captain at Hickam AFB) had eight kills.

The first game of the last day of play would determine second place for the men’s championship, as the Air Force and the Navy entered the match with identical 2-3 records. Manning again directed play with 27 assists. Szymanski had 11 kills and Klemas had eight. Garcia matched Klemas’ eight kills and also contributed six point-gaining blocks. The final game scores for the Air Force men’s team was 25-21, 25-20 and 25-18.

Final men’s standings were Army 5-1, Air Force 3-3, and Navy and Marine Corps both 2-4.

Lacar was the only Air Force player selected to the All-Tournament team when he was named the tournament’s best “libero.” He, along with Constancio Torres (a captain at Little Rock AFB, Ark.), and Lorenzo were selected to the Armed Forces CISM Team.