RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Keri Hee took up volleyball as a freshman at Kalani. Now a senior,the Falcons' middle blocker is getting looks from college recruiters.

Hee finds
her future

Still relatively new
to volleyball, the Kalani
senior hopes to play
in college

A little "in-house" recruiting can only be a good thing -- at least in the case of Kalani senior Keri Hee.

As a freshman, Hee was walking across the Kalani gymnasium on her way to find out about the Falcons' offseason conditioning program when she was detained by the school's athletic director, Gordon Miyashiro.

"I liked volleyball right away, but being inexperienced, it took a lot of work. Like any player, I still have a lot to work on, but it comes naturally to me now." --Keri Hee, Kalani senior The Hee file Full name: Keri Kehaulani Hee Family: Step father, Jerry; mother, Bernie; sister, Stacey. Favorite food: "I love Hawaiian food." Favorite athlete: Former UH player, Laura Duggins Hobbies: "Sleeping, because I never have any time to sleep. And going to the beach." Favorite musical artist: "I listen to pretty much anything on the radio." Person in history I'd like to meet: "I'd have liked to get to know my grandmother. Everyone tells me how much fun she was."

"He told me to play volleyball -- that tryouts would begin on the second," Hee recalled. "After that he hunted me down. I didn't want to go at first because I didn't know how to play.

"I tried out for the junior varsity, and I guess I progressed, because at midseason they moved me up to the varsity."

The rest, as they say in the sporting world, is history.

FOUR YEARS LATER, Hee is hearing from college recruiters. She will visit the University of Illinois-Chicago in the coming weeks, in hopes of being offered a volleyball scholarship. Before and after her visit to the Windy City, however, she will turn her attention to her duties as a middle blocker for the Falcons, who regard this season as an opportunity to finish some unfinished business.

A year ago, Kalani beat all of its Oahu Interscholastic Association opponents en route to the school's first OIA title. The Falcons entered the state tournament as the top-seeded team before a loss to Kamehameha in the semifinals stopped their momentum.

Three games into the OIA East portion of their schedule, the Falcons remain the team to beat. And if Kalani should fail to reach its lofty goals this fall, it won't be for lack of effort. The pace of a typical Kalani practice is unrelenting, with the Falcons moving briskly from one drill to another. After a three-and-a-half hour practice, they run a mile before calling it a day.

"We sweat so much we're always having to wipe off the floor," Hee said. "Our coaches always tell us how hard it is to get to the top and that it's even harder to stay there. We want to win the OIA -- that's one of our major goals -- and then move on to states. That's why we're working so hard.

"Practice makes perfect, and (Kalani co-head coach) Aven (Lee) wants us to be perfect. The harder our practices, the easier the games will be. It's going to take a lot of hard work for us to get to where we want to be, but I think we can do it."

HEE JOINS Dara Waialae, Meghan Koizumi and Tamari Miyashiro as one of four seniors on the Kalani team. Miyashiro was the East's Player of the Year last season and the team's acknowledged leader.

This season, all four are expected to be leaders, a relatively new role for Hee.

"She expects us to guide our teammates," Hee said of Lee. "We all need to step it up, but I think we're coming along."

Playing for Lee, a former University of Hawaii volleyball standout who shares the head coaching duties with Joey Miyashiro, is a unique experience, according to Hee.

"She really pushes us mentally," Hee said. "It's awesome to be coached by her. She's hard on us during practice. Off of the court, she's the sweetest person."

Said Lee: "Keri's jump is her strength. She has a great jump, which gets her up there for the blocks and hits. She's a good athlete, and it's easy to teach them when they have the physical ability. She's a competitor, a fighter, and hopefully, she's going to take on the role of a leader."

HEE AND HER teammates are seldom without each other's company. Upon completion of this interview on a Sunday morning, she left for an all-day barbecue with her parents, coaches and teammates.

"We're a big family," Hee said. "We do a lot of team bonding. We have barbecues at one of our houses, or we'll go to the movies together. That's the best part of being a part of this team -- we're so close. We have good chemistry, we're there for each other. If someone's having a bad day, someone else is always there to pick her up."

Hee's athletic ability made her a quick study in volleyball. She also plays for the Falcons basketball team, but volleyball quickly became her primary focus.

"When I first started, I was like, 'this is so hard,' but after a few practices, it became a lot easier," she said. "I liked volleyball right away, but being inexperienced, it took a lot of work. Like any player, I still have a lot to work on, but it comes naturally to me now."

HEE IS HOPING to remain injury-free this season. Last year, she sprained her ankle two games into the OIA regular season and missed five games. She returned in time for Kalani's title run. Other minor injuries have at times interrupted her progress, prompting her to take an interest in physical therapy, which will likely be her major in college.

"I've been through so many injuries, I'd like to help others," she laughed.