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Kevin Buehler|Odessa American Kati Holly, left, and her sister Kristi Holly will lead the Monahans Lady Loboes against Caldwell High in the Class 3A State semifinal match Friday at 1 p.m. at Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos, Texas.

Volleyball: Monahans sisters enjoy another trip together to state tournament

November 18, 2009 11:14 PM

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BY CHRIS GOVE

What you see isn’t necessarily what you get, even in the case of twin sisters.

Sure, somebody could mix up Monahans High School seniors Kristi Holly and Kati Holly on first glance — though a program will be handy Friday and Saturday when the sisters help lead the volleyball team in its sixth appearance at the UIL Class 3A State Championships since 2002.

But sharing a birthday and similar 6-foot statures doesn’t mean the Holly sisters, the oldest two of seven siblings, are clones by any means.

“With seven kids, we’re used to lots of sibling rivalries and they really don’t ever fight with each other at all,” said their father, Greg Holly. “They’re very, very close and they always support each other, but they have different personalities.”

Kristi, who plays middle blocker, is regarded as the extrovert. Kati, an outside hitter, is more reserved.

In terms of sports, volleyball is the only one they play together. Kristi moves on to basketball after this weekend’s trip to Texas State University’s Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos, while Kati will begin training for the high jump and trying to earn a third trip to the state meet — she was the Class 3A champion as a sophomore in 2008.

“They don’t have the same personality, but they still have an affinity for each other,” Monahans head coach Patty Dominguez said. “You can hear it on the court, especially Kati when Kristi’s hitting — you can hear (Kati) off the bench. And Kristi’s always trying to toughen Kati up.

“It took me a while to figure out their personalities and stuff. It’s been fun.”

Both sisters also have been key contributors for the Lady Loboes (40-5) during their run back to the state tournament, which isn’t a complete surprise since they both played important roles as sophomores for the 2007 team that lost the state championship match to Wimberley in five sets.

Having success that year didn’t ensure it into the future, though, and the Lady Loboes had to rally past Dalhart last week in a five-set regional quarterfinal before fighting to a four-set victory against Abilene Wylie in the Region I-3A Tournament final.

Now the goal will be to close out the unfinished business from 2007.

“Last week I was at home having lunch with the two of them and one of them said, ‘When we were there we didn’t realize what a big deal it was,’ ” Greg Holly said. “Until you’ve been there and you’re trying to get back and win it, you don’t realize there’s a lot of places to fall short. I think their perspective is a lot different going down there this time.”

The best part for the sisters is they’ll get to share one more volleyball trip together.

This Lady Loboes team boasts about its chemistry, which is evident by the production from just about every angle of the court. But there is something special about playing with — and for — a sibling.

“It’s always nice to have her there for moral support,” Kristi Holly said. “You know she’ll always be there for you. If you mess up and have a bad game, she’s the one person you know who won’t be mad at you.”

Kati Holly might have a little extra incentive for reasons that aren’t entirely about volleyball.

Though her junior volleyball season was hampered by an ankle injury and then by a regional quarterfinal loss which was the program’s earliest since 2001, the spring brought its own heartbreak when she failed to qualify for the state meet in the high jump.

She was the defending state champion and had also qualified for state as a freshman, but missed out as a junior with a fourth-place regional finish. It wasn’t the end of the world or even Kati Holly’s athletic career, but certainly it was a disappointment.

“It just gave me more reason to try even harder in volleyball to try to get back to state because it is my senior year,” Kati Holly said. “I did want to get back to state in this and track, but I guess it gave me more incentive to push harder for volleyball.”

The push by Kati Holly and Kristi Holly has been successful in helping get the Lady Loboes back to volleyball’s promised land.

It’s rare when either one will lead the team with kills, but their attacking numbers are crucial and their efforts with blocking have been result-changing.

“In practice (Monday), they both had a couple of great shots,” Dominguez said. “I said, ‘Man, I’m so glad you guys finally made it to this point.’ And they were like, ‘Coach, it took us forever.’ I said, ‘No, but you’re peaking at the right moment.’

“They’re really coming on.”

And the best part is that they get to do it together one more weekend.

>> UIL State Volleyball Championships

Thursday-Saturday

At Texas State’s Strahan Coliseum

San Marcos

THURSDAY

Class 2A Semifinals

1 p.m. — White Oak (44-0) vs. Poth (36-10).

3 p.m. — Peaster (36-4) vs. Aubrey (36-9).

Class 4A Semifinals

5 p.m. — Canyon Randall (40-1) vs. Seguin (32-13).