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TWIN COURT

Volleyball and Tennis they play together now, but Blue Ponies Alex and Katie Donaldson are bonded for life

As identical twins, Alex and Katie Donaldson have always been close. But while they were born with a bond few others will ever know, it's been strengthened over the years through sports because the two are more than just sisters and classmates, they are teammates, too.

For as long as they can remember, both Alex and Katie, now seniors at Havre High, have been volleyball diehards. They grew up watching the sport and when they became old enough, they started playing it themselves and for the past three seasons, they have played it for the Blue Pony varsity volleyball team.

"Technically, we have been playing together for eight years," Alex said. "But we have always been around volleyball, even when we were little. We always went to the Northern games and our sister was a big influence in that as well. But we have always wanted to play volleyball.

"I can remember us always playing it in the living room," Katie added.

After growing up around the game, the two dedicated themselves and earned varsity spots as juniors. And for the twins, playing together has been a great experience, one that's helped them grow even closer.

"It's been great," Alex said. "We have always had that connection out on the court."

Her sister Katie agreed.

"It's been fun," she said. "We have made a lot of friends and that makes it fun, getting to know everyone and seeing how they play. It's definitely made our bond even stronger."

While the Donaldson twins have always shared the volleyball court, their respective roads to the tennis court were a little different. Alex joined the Havre High tennis team right away as a freshman. Katie, on the other hand, waited until she was a sophomore, and after two years playing for Alex and one for Katie, the two became doubles partners in 2016, something they will do again this spring.

"I thought it would be fun to play and now I love it," Alex said. "(Katie) didn't play a spring sport her freshman year, but I think she saw me play and thought that it would be fun, too. In the offseason, we would hit together and we worked out together. I helped her with some of the basics so when it came time, we could get right at it."

Over the years, as the two have grown more familiar with the sport and each other, they said their connection and familiarity is something they can use to their advantage.

"There are times when we will look at each other and we know exactly what the other is thinking," Katie said. "Getting to play (doubles) together last year for the first time was really cool. It really allowed us to grow together and get to know how each other plays. She has her strengths and I have mine and it kind of goes together well.

HHS tennis head coach George Ferguson thinks the pair make a perfect partnership.

"I wasn't sure how it would work at first," Ferguson said. "I've had siblings play together, in the past, and it has either went really well, or it didn't work at all. Never twins though, and it was pretty obvious, pretty quickly that they were going to make a great team.

"And when you get to know them, you understand why," he continued. "They are truly twins in that you can just see their bond. It's a really special bond, that probably only twins can understand. Peronsality-wise, they are very different, actually. But when they're together, they are so bonded. They are great kids, so much fun to be around, both as individuals and as twins. I'm so thankful they play tennis, because not only are they a great team, but they are just awesome kids and they are so much fun to be around."

Obviously, when you have an identical twin, forging your own identity can be difficult. But while both play volleyball and tennis, Alex and Katie Donaldson still have plenty of differences.

"When we were growing up, people got us mixed up a lot," Alex said. "We have different personalities though. (Katie) is the quiet one, I am more of the outgoing one."

The two twins have their differences, but they still have plenty of similarities and in addition to playing volleyball and tennis, both excel in the classroom. Katie boasts a 3.8 GPA and Alex' is also impressive at 3.5. Although neither has decided where they plan to go to college, Alex is planning on studying nutrition. Katie will be looking to get into the medical field.

"People have asked us that before," Alex said about going to different schools. "But we are two different people, we have different interests and different goals. Of course even if we don't go to the same school, we will always have each other."

"Even if we don't go to the same school," Katie said. "We know that we are close enough that we can still be there for each other. We can always come back home to each other, but will be kind of nice to go off on our own and meet new friends and do different things. But we still know we will always have each other."

The twins have always relied on each other. Whether it came to studying and doing homework or training for volleyball. Of course, like most siblings, there is some competitiveness, but for the most part, the two offer each other nothing but support.

"We have our own inside jokes that we make," Alex said. "Like if one of us gets a better score on a test or something, we will be like 'don't say anything.' But we just make jokes like that. We really try to support each other, we study for tests together and just try to help each other as much as we can."

Katie and Alex Donaldson found out just how much they needed each other, when their mother, Kathryn Donaldson, passed away in January 2016.

"She was our biggest inspiration," Alex said. "She can help us get through anything. She was always telling us 'never give up'. And we have certain things, when we will say to each other, 'keep doing it for mom.' We have moments like that and that's special. We know that she would be proud of us."

"She is always in our hearts," Katie added. "You just know that no matter where you are, she is always going to be there with you."

While the sisters have had hard times, they have shared plenty of good times, especially playing the sport they love. However, no matter what happens in the coming weeks at divisionals and potentially state, the twins time as volleyball players will be coming to an end.

"It's tough," Alex said. "But at the same time, you still have that drive to play your hardest and do your best and give it your all, because we won't have this next year."

After a 6-11 regular season, the Ponies will head to the postseason, with the Eastern A Divisional Tournament starting this Wednesday in Lewistown. HHS will open up against Laurel, but to keep its season going, Havre will need to finish in the top four at the divisionals, something both felt was possible.

"I think as long as we all work hard and do our jobs," Alex said. "We can beat any team and get to the state tournament. It's really up to us and how bad we want it and how hard we are willing to work for it."

And the twins, who rank in the top 10 in the Central A in aces, Katie with 46 (3rd in Central A) and Alex with 43 (8th in Central A), will have a big role to play if the Ponies are going to keep their season alive.

"I want to see how far we can get," Katie said. "I know that for myself and for my team, I think that we can beat any of the teams that we have to play and that we can go as far as we want to go."

If Havre does finish in the top four, the Ponies would continue their season next week in Bozeman, at the All-Class state tournament, but either way, the end is coming soon. But for now, the Donaldson sisters are focused on the present and staying on the volleyball court together, for as long as they possibly can.

"It's weird to think that all your life, you think that gosh, you are going to be a Blue Pony one day," Katie said. "And now it's almost to the end, so you just try to work your hardest and make it last as long as you can."

 

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