Serena and Sadie Chaly, 16-year-old twins, have been making waves on the beach volleyball court.
Currently sophomores at MACES, the Chaly sisters play for the Starlings club team, the varsity MACES team and, most recently, the beach volleyball team.
Their journey began seven years ago when their “…dad decided to put Sadie and me into [our older sister’s] club called Starlings,” Serena says.
At first, the twins weren’t sure about the sport. “We started off not enjoying it,” Serena recalls, but “…the more we practiced and interacted with others, the more we enjoyed playing it.”
When beach volleyball was introduced, they embraced the challenge. “We were excited to go to the beach,” Sadie says, “but we never really thought about how hard it would be to play in the sand.”
Serena excels at adjusting to mistakes quickly. “I think my strongest skill would have to be picking up on my mistakes and adjusting to them,” she says. “Mistakes are meant to be a lesson to get better.”
Sadie excels at staying calm during tough games. “My strongest skill is keeping my composure,” she explains. “Sometimes I get frustrated, but I know I always have my teammates and coaches to support me.”
Their complementary strengths create a powerful dynamic on the court. “With Sadie keeping calm during tough plays and me communicating with her, we build trust,” Serena says. “Being sisters, our relationship on the court is stronger than ever.”
They’re both “…really competitive,” Serena admits. “We really want to win,” and as a result, their “…last beach game went to three sets, and we had to motivate each other to finish with a win,” Serena says.
While they uplift each other during these tough games, it isn’t uncommon for “…disagreements [to] happen, but it’s just our sisterly bond,” Sadie says. “When we get out of hand, we remind each other to calm down and relax,” because “…it’s never that serious.”
Looking ahead, the twins hope to continue growing in their sport. “We want to inspire other girls to play,” Sadie says.
Their journey is about more than just winning as they focus on enjoying the beach, supporting each other, and growing together as athletes.
