September 2023 – Are you interested in playing volleyball? Then this article is for you. Local twins, Morgan and Taylor Newberry, are volleyball players on the rise. They are in sixth grade at O. Henry Middle School. They are very athletic and play multiple sports, but they love volleyball the most!

Question: How long have you been playing volleyball?

Both: Since we were two and a half or three, so like eight years.

Question: Why did you start playing volleyball?

Taylor: Sort of because my dad made me.

Morgan:  And it’s a fun sport that’s very relaxing. 

Taylor:  It makes me, like, escape reality.

Question: What does your schedule look like during volleyball season?

Morgan: I don’t know when all the practices are but Skyline (club) practice is Monday and Thursday for two hours. We also have some tournaments on the weekends and some three day ones. 

Taylor:  For WAYA, our practices are on Mondays and our games are on Thursdays, so we’ll probably skip some of our Skyline practices for the WAYA games. But a lot of people on our WAYA team have the same club schedule, so we might not have that many people playing.

Question: How do you help your team/teams?

Morgan: I think I’m a really good teammate and team player. I get a lot of blocks, I’m all over the court, I have better sets, and I have really good hits.

Taylor: I encourage my teammates, and I’m a very good setter.

Question: What do you do to get ready for a game?

Taylor: First we change into our outfits and do our hair. We have a bag for our shoes, knee pads, and arm sleeves that we change into when we get there.

Morgan:  I get dressed, you know, grab my Birkenstocks, do signature two french braids going into a ponytail, and go to the game and slay the day.

Question: What do you like about volleyball?

Morgan: I can be myself. I can be aggressive and let my anger out.

Taylor: I think it’s just fun and a great way to interact with friends.

Morgan:  It’s very rewarding when I make a good play. When I get a block and when I make a save. 

Question: What do you think makes a good athlete?

Morgan:  I think a good athlete is somebody who’s definitely a good teammate, who can run and jump, and somebody who just shows passion for the sport that they’re playing. 

Taylor:  I think a good athlete is being a good player and teammate.

Question: What is the biggest challenge playing volleyball?

Taylor:  Biggest challenge is when it’s gamepoint and then you miss a serve.

Morgan:  Oh yeah, that is a big challenge. I think the biggest challenge is fighting through all the court burns, bruises, and cuts.

Taylor:  I also think a challenge playing volleyball is everytime you mess up, your teammates get annoyed. 

Morgan:  It’s really just what you have to overcome as yourself.

Question: What advice do you have for people interested in playing volleyball?

Morgan: The advice that I have is you need to give effort and the small skills are what  counts. If you’re a good teammate, you’re always on top.

Question: What do you like and dislike about being twins playing on the same team?

Taylor: There’s nothing I dislike.  

Morgan: I like that I always have a pepper partner. 

Taylor:  Me, too. But, it’s bad if you do something, and your twin just does it better. That’s depressing.