Noah Reed is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Veritas Prep Academy for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX – Volleyball is second nature for siblings at Veritas Prep Academy and ties the two together on and off the court.
 

For some, the shared experience of team sports fosters relationships that last a lifetime. Sisters Mary and Grace Hamann would agree. Volleyball weaved their lives together from a young age, but their journeys to the top echelon of competition was born from two different philosophies.
 

“I've learned that I have to love it for myself,” sophomore Grace Hamann said. “I can't love it because it's my sister's dream. I can't love it because it's my parents dream. I have to love it because it's my dream.”

Grace Hamann started out wanting to follow the family plan and give the sport a try. She quickly realized that simply going through the motions would not work within her personal framework.

“My sisters played it before me,” senior Mary Hamann said. “They seem to like it pretty well, so I'll just follow down the line, because that seems like a good idea, but I can't just have that be my reason for my entire career.”

Like Grace Hamann, Mary Hamann was born and raised in Arizona. Both emphasize academics, but something always drew Mary Hamann to the game.

“My older sisters played volleyball,” Mary Hamann said. “I watched them play volleyball. I saw the camaraderie, I saw the environment that this sport creates, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Their trails not only split in the desire to compete, but also in how each developed their skills.

“We both play in a different club,” Mary Hamann said. “So, we don't really get to see each other during club season.”

Mary Hamann plays for the Revolution Volleyball Academy while Grace Hamann is on Ignite Volleyball Club’s roster. Regardless of the program, their kinship stretches beyond any one team.

“We have a different connection because we're sisters,” Grace Hamann said. “I have that connection with all my teammates, I think, just not quite as strong.”

Their ties stretch from the classroom to competition. 

“We have that bond,” Mary Hamann said. “Because we're sisters, I just know that she's always gonna be there for me on the court. 

“If I ever need some support on the court, a hand squeeze or a positive comment, just to get me back on track. And she's also really good at recognizing when I'm not mentally at my best.”

As this season ends, Mary Hamann’s next stepping stone draws near: college competition.

“That would be the culmination of my dream,” Mary Hamann said. “It's been a focus of mine, since high school, in middle school, throughout my club seasons.”

Mary Hamann visits William Penn University in the coming weeks to pursue a career at the collegiate level. She’s also been in touch with Western Colorado University and former RVA coach Sonia Morales-Jones.

“It would just mean that all the hard work, the late nights and the hours spent that I could have been hanging out with friends, that it was worth it,” Mary Hamann said.

“If I were playing volleyball somewhere else, it wouldn't be the same,” Mary Hamann said.

The moral of their story, passion belongs to and must be discovered by the individual.

“Your reason why you do something has to kind of increase as the level you're playing at increases,” Grace Hamann said. “If you're if your why isn't good enough, you might leave.

“And I don't want to do that.”