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Saturday, September 1, 2007
Orphus Sisters
Eastern Oklahoma, OK
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Teammates on and off the court, the Ophus sisters make up half of the Jenks volleyball team when they’re on the court together. The oldest sister Lauren and the middle sister Olivia started for the high school last year and were a part of the state championship team. Now younger sister Carissa joins them as she prepares to play varsity volleyball as a freshman.
It was meant to be. For Jenks volleyball and head coach Beth Erickson, it’s a blessing. Last season no one gave the Lady Trojans a chance at a state title, but the team kept pressing forward and became one of the better teams to come out of the storied school.
The Ophus sisters are now a part of Trojan history. Many pairs of brothers and sisters have come out of the halls at Jenks, but few have had the opportunity to have as big of an impact on one team as the Ophus sisters could have this year.
Lauren is a senior this year and it’s her first opportunity to play with both of her sisters. Last year she played with Olivia who is a junior this year. “It’s really fun. It’s like my life is a constant party. My best friends are with me all the time and the rest of my family, all of the volleyball girls,” said Lauren. Being the oldest means she will head off to college first and that decision has yet to be made, but one thing is certain, wherever she goes her skills will be a welcomed edition. During the state tournament last year, Lauren was named to the All-Tournament team as an outside hitter.
The middle sister, Olivia, starts for the high school at the same position as her older sister and for opposing teams it basically means they face the same player on both sides of the court. But is that going to be enough to give the team a chance at repeating this season? “We have a lot of good talent on this team and we had a lot of good talent last year. We have a great coach and as long as we’re having fun I think we’ll do really good,” said Olivia.
Not to take anything away from the older two, the younger sister Carissa may develop into the best volleyball player of all three. She’s the only freshman on the team which says a lot. Carissa is ready for her shot at the varsity level. “It’s very important for me to come in and prove to the team I belong here,” said Carissa. But Olivia quickly chimed in and said, “She’s already done that.” All three are outside hitters, but Carissa will play right side as her two sisters are the squads starting outside hitters.
They all maintain excellent grades, they all plan on going to college and they all will make a difference for the Lady Trojans this year.
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