From little arguments to hyping each other up, being sisters on a volleyball team comes with unique opportunities and challenges.
This year there are two pairs of sisters on the LHS volleyball team: Elsie and Maddy Crawford and Selah and Rael Simien. Both pairs are very passionate about volleyball and have been playing together for years.
The Simien sisters’ grandmother was very involved in LHS volleyball, and encouraged them to get involved as well. Their grandmother refereed for games and has always been a big supporter of her granddaughters on the court.
“My grandma played volleyball at LHS and absolutely loves the sport,” Selah Simien said. “As soon as me and my sister could, she had us passing balloons.”
The Crawford sisters, a year apart, started at different times. They first joined club volleyball and then joined the school team.
“I’ve been playing volleyball since I was ten,” Maddy Crawford said. “I started playing with my friends and rec league at Rock Chalk. I started liking it more and more, and I went into a competitive club team and liked it more.”
Inspired by her sister, Elsie started a few years later.
“I started playing my eighth grade year, and we played for the same club,” Elsie Crawford said. “Then we kind of just grew together and closer and we’ve played together for three years now.”
Harper Dye, a close friend of the Crawfords, has known them and played with them for years. This year is Elsie’s first year on varsity, joining Maddy after her three years on varsity.
“I’ve played club volleyball with Maddy and Elsie so it was really easy for Elsie to just jump in and not change much,” Dye said.
Being sisters always comes with disagreements and arguments, but both pairs of sisters try to keep it off the court.
“My sister and I know when to put our personal lives and issues aside and lock in on the game and team,” Rael Simien said. “We don’t usually have disagreements, though off the court we do tease each other.”
The bond between sisters brings a unique value and relationship to the team.
“I already had a built-in best friend,” Selah Simien said. “I never thought that I would get as close to the girls as I am now.”
The Crawford sisters agree that their friendship adds to the team.
“It’s nice because we can relate a lot, and then if we get annoyed, we can just step away from each other,” Maddy Crawford said. “It’s really nice knowing that other people have a sister on the team.”
The closeness of the sisters strengthens the bond of the team.
“I absolutely love playing with my sister,” Rael Simien said. “We have been so close our whole lives and volleyball helps us grow even closer. I love being able to celebrate with her and we always cheer each other on.”
