MORE THAN TEAMMATES

For Emma and Gillian Pioske, volleyball is a family affair. The Mariposa County High School twins have spent the past few seasons helping lead the Grizzlies to dominance in the Southern League — Emma as the setter, Gillian as an outside hitter.

Their positions require them to be in sync. Thankfully, being sisters has given them a connection that is difficult to replicate.

“It’s super fun. We’ve always played sports and done a lot of stuff together, but especially because she’s a hitter and I’m a setter, we really have to work on our connection together,” Emma said. “I think us being sisters honestly helps, because we already have a good connection.”

Gillian joked that the two have what some might consider “twin telepathy,” knowing what the other is thinking.

“For me, it’s someone I can trust on the court at all times,” said Gillian. “We will go home and a lot of the things we talk about are volleyball. Almost every conversation we have is volleyball related. … We know everything that the other is thinking. It’s really helpful, especially because she is a setter and helps run the court.”

As the setter, Emma knows where Gillian likes the ball. As an outside hitter, Gillian knows when Emma is likely to set her. They communicate differently because they’re sisters, but it works to their advantage.

Their journey

For Emma, volleyball wasn’t always her focus. She played other sports, and it was only in middle school that she made the decision to truly dive into the sport.

“I committed to this when I was in seventh grade and decided it would be a big part of my life,” Emma said.

Emma quickly became an avid watcher of college volleyball and has never been afraid to pick her coach’s brain for advice. Both of those things have helped build her love of the game and fast-track her path to success.

“I just really enjoy the team aspect of it and working with other people,” Emma said. “I enjoy getting better at it and working hard to develop the skills in this sport.”

Although she got a later start than some in the sport, Emma’s talent was quickly apparent, and she made it onto the varsity team as a freshman. Since then, she has put together a very strong résumé as a player.

In September, she passed the 2,000 career assist mark and just days later was named to the All-Tournament team of the Central California Classic tournament.

“I don’t think I ever imagined getting to that amount,” said Emma. “My goal was always (simply) to play on varsity and play good volleyball.”

Emma said a lot of the credit goes to her coach, Holly Earling, who was a setter herself and played college volleyball.

“Holly has taught me everything I know about setting,” Emma said. “She helps make me a better player … She has contributed to a lot of things.”

Emma seems to thrive on the responsibility that comes with being a setter. Many people compare a setter to the quarterback of a football team. Setters control the offense, make key decisions, and touch the ball on almost every single play.

It’s all about making the right choices and making sure to put teammates in the right position to succeed. Because of that, communication is key.

“I think there is a lot of pressure. Everyone says setters are the most mentally hard position in volleyball. I would definitely agree with that,” Emma said. “I used to be an outside (hitter) and a middle (blocker). I had played every other position besides setter until my freshman year.”

Because of that, Emma feels it “made me way smarter” in the game.

“I think I have learned so much, and it is also important to run a balanced offense as a setter,” Emma said. “If you are setting one person the entire time, they are going to have two blockers up the entire time and it’ll be hard to score.”

Aside from excelling at her position, one of Emma’s biggest goals is to be seen as a good person and a good teammate.

“I really just want to leave a lasting impact on this program,” Emma said. “I want the younger girls to look back and see me as a role model and as a good teammate.”

Like her sister, Gillian is also very talented. Just last week, she accumulated over 750 career kills. Like her sister, Gillian is also a strong softball player.

Emma praised Gillian’s aggressiveness and her constant desire to push herself to be better for the team.

“She is always swinging away,” Emma said. “She always wants more out of herself.”

Gillian had just as much praise for Emma.

“She’s so good. It’s almost like an expectation. At this point, it’s like, can she reach 3,000 (assists)? Because we know she is good enough to,” Gillian said. “It’s such a cool thing to see.”

What does the future hold?

With the regular season coming to a close, the Pioske sisters and their teammates are hoping to make a deeper run into the postseason than they have the last few seasons.

“At the beginning of the season all of us wrote down our goals,” Emma said. “Pretty much all of us were in agreement that our goal this year was to make it deeper in the playoffs. We’ve gotten knocked out in the second round the last few years … We want to peak during the playoffs. I definitely think we are getting there.”

Winning a section “would be incredible,” Gillian added.

Both Pioske sisters said they would be interested in playing college volleyball at a small school, if the opportunity presented itself. Emma is exploring the possibility of studying agricultural education at Fresno State University, but if she ends up attending a junior college like Merced College first, she would consider trying out for volleyball there.

Gillian, on the other hand, would like to study political science and possibly become a lawyer. She too mentioned playing volleyball at some smaller schools in the region.

“It would be cool if we could play together,” Gillian said.

Playing high school sports is often one of the most special times in a young person’s life: The joy of competing, the bonds that are formed with teammates, the memories of trips to rival towns. Needless to say, it’s something many people look back on years later with fondness.

The Pioske sisters will continue to savor the moments they have left, and are hoping their strong connection will benefit the team down the stretch.