On any given fall Tuesday night inside the Springfield High School gym, you’ll hear the squeak of sneakers, the bouncing of volleyballs, and the roar of DJ Fresh at the announcer’s table as the teams prepare to run out on the court. But for two pairs of Wildcats, you will also catch the unmistakable sound of sibling banter between plays.
This fall, two sister duos Paris and Maniya Soles and Mya and Nyah Khasib took the idea of ‘team bonding’ one step further — proving that sometimes, the best teammate you can have is your sister.
Varsity players Paris, a sophomore, and Maniya, a senior, have been on a volleyball court together since the days of National Trails recreational league – even further back when Maniya used to train her younger sister in their backyard. “She’d hit the ball at me as hard as she could,” Paris said with a soft smile. “Our mom had been talking about us playing together for years, so when it finally happened, it felt right.”
This season, the sisters found themselves side by side on the Varsity lineup, playing in the back row together against some of the toughest competitors – something both say made Maniya’s senior season even better. Walking across the court on senior night in matching Maniya t-shirts was bittersweet, realizing their time playing together was coming to an end, but feeling grateful for every dig, ace and celebration that came before.
Maniya admitted the relationship can be... intense, but what sisterhood isn’t?
“I can talk to her differently than I talk to everybody else,” she said.
Immediately, Paris responded in that blunt, tone that only sisters will understand, “Yeah, she’ll tell me if I suck.”
For Mya and Nyah, who played together this year on the JVA team, the connection is just as strong. “I was happy because I get to play my favorite sport with my favorite person,” said Mya, a junior. “We’re like two peas in a pod.”
Nyah, a freshman, says having her older sister by her side made all the difference as she transitioned to high school sports. “I felt more comfortable on the team because of Mya,” she explained. “It made my first year so much easier.”
The trust they’ve built translated naturally to the court this season. “We can tell when one of us is off,” Mya said. “And if one of us makes a terrible mistake, the other is right there saying, ‘Get the next point.’”
The ability to communicate well and work together is something most teams spend weeks, if not seasons, trying to develop. But for the sisters, it’s second nature.
Springfield Varsity Volleyball Head Coach Sydney Peters said the bonds between teammates are what turn a good team into a great one.
“In order to be successful, you have to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Peters said. “We spent a lot of time together this summer doing intense drills, team bonding activities, and a team camp…time in the weight room and outside of the gym to develop those skills and relationships.”
Peters describes her team as a ‘sisterhood’ in every sense of the word. When you spend more time on the volleyball court than you do at home – that’s just what happens.
“You go through tough practices, losses, and thrilling wins together,” Coach Peters said. “That shared emotional journey creates a deep connection. A lot of these girls have been playing together for five or more years, and when you add in two sets of actual sisters, it’s even more special to watch those bonds form.”
That connection didn’t end for the sisters when the final whistle of the season blew. Mya says that playing with Nyah shaped more than just her volleyball skills. “Nyah really did help grow my confidence — not only on the court, but in general,” she said. “I definitely noticed a difference in myself from last year to this year, and she (Nyah) was a big factor in that.”
Whether it’s giving each other ‘the look’ before a serve, a hug after an endless rally, or an inside joke mid-practice, the sisters have learned that the best teams feel like family – “We might get on each other about a play, but once we’re home, we’re just sisters again.” —
because, sometimes, they actually are.