JAMESTOWN - While most athletic coaches strive for a "family atmosphere" within their team, the Jamestown girls basketball program takes it to a whole new level.
At the same time, however, having three sets of twins on the varsity roster can present various challenges.
"Sometimes, I have to be careful not to let them match-up in practice because they might hurt each other," said Jamestown head coach E.H. Hirschvogel. "We don't have any true forwards or centers on the team, so they're almost all guards. It can be a very competitive situation."
Perhaps too competitive.
"One time, she stepped on my foot and fell on me. We were mad at each other for a week," said junior Mackenzie Strother, referring to her fraternal twin, Mickayla. "After that, we couldn't play against each other anymore."
Mackenzie, speaking somewhat in jest with Mickayla standing nearby, expanded her thoughts on having a sibling rivalry.
"We're not loving at all," she said, cracking a smile. "Sometimes we fight verbally, and sometimes we fight physically. The physical ones are more interesting."
Trying to avoid conflict between all his siblings, while still maintaining competitive practices, can be a juggling act for Hirschvogel.
Along with the Strother sisters, Jamestown's other twins are juniors Lexi and Alli Muri, and sophomores Angie and Maggie McNay. The Muris and McNays are both identical twins.
"It can be interesting at times, there's no doubt about it," Hirschvogel said. "All three sets are different in personality, then each individual twin is different in their own way. It can make it interesting, for sure."
On the flip side, there's also positive aspects to having family members on the same team.
"It's cool because you basically know where your sister is going to be on the floor every second," Alli Muri said. "It's like you know where she's going to be, even before you pass the ball."
Maggie McNay added: "It helps you get better because you always want to be better than your twin. Sisters have more competition, so they help each other get better. We can talk about games afterwards, and nobody else understands except your twin."
Despite their occasional disagreements, Mackenzie Strother is proud to compete alongside her sister.
"Having family on the team does make it better," she said. "In the car, you can get pumped up with your sister. It's like, "Hey, remember that play. Hey, remember when you shot that.' You can get excited and loud after the game."
With the regular season in full swing, the Lady Eagles will need contributions from all their sisters. In a 68-58 loss to Tipton on Thursday, Dec. 4, their starting lineup included both Muris and both Strothers. Junior Emily Scheperle was the fifth starter. Alli Muri had a team-high 17 points against Tipton, while Mickayla Strother finished with 16 points, Lexi Muri added 14 points and Mackenzie Strother scored six.
Although the Lady Eagles saw their record fall to 1-3 after a loss to Macks Creek in the consolation round of the Tipton Basketball Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 6, there was still plenty of optimism from the players.
"We have improved so much from last year, and we're going to have a great season," Maggie McNay said. "I'm excited for the rest of the season."