Monroeville triples the fun — again

The usual tropes were always there. Life as a twin sibling often times leads to sharing certain items or dressing the same. And while those things did take place growing up, Monroeville seniors Ady and Alexa Adams both agreed when "twin life" started to break the common stereotypes. "We did share a lot of things, of course, and when we were real little, my mom did dress us the same," Ady said. "But we got out of that stage. The biggest thing was if Alexa got a pet animal, then I had to get a pet." At first, that seemed simple enough for parents Dustin and Shannon Adams. Alexa first got guinea pigs, and Ady followed suit with various or similar hamsters and hedgehogs. Simple enough. Those animals are fairly low-maintenance pets. Then along came Theo. Ady's request flipped the pattern of following her sister, as she got a Pitbull/Labrador mixed puppy. Theo is now six years old, but it was obvious he was going to have company. "We didn't always share everything, but the pets were something that we had to have together," Alexa said. "She got Theo first, so then I got Whiskey as a kitten later." When asked what type of cat Whiskey is, Alexa wasn't exactly sure. "He's gray, and he's great — that's all I know," she said. But there is one key thing Ady and Alexa have always shared. It's a bond over a sport that has taken the sisters and their teammates to incredible heights. Along with senior standout Madi Reiber, the twins form a front line at the net for the Monroeville volleyball team that has been consistently imposing to the opposition. The trio and three senior classmates will end their careers this weekend where it started when they lead the Eagles (24-2) into a Division VII state semifinal vs. Russia (21-6) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Vandalia Butler High School. "It means a lot to start and finish at state," Alexa said. "We're all really close, which helps us connect better. It's an awesome way to go out." Looks and feels alike While not identical twins, it may be hard for an outsider to know it at first glance. "Alexa is a little bit taller than me, so if you really look close, you can tell that way," Ady said. "And I have a bit more of a round face." Alexa broke it down even easier. "Ady has a rounder face, and I have a longer face," she said. "The "L" in Alexa stands for long. That's how a lot of people tell us apart." Monroeville head coach Kendra Snook said it's easy for her to tell the twins apart. But when she first started coaching them at the club level in junior high, that wasn't always the case. "I think I maybe struggled for about a month with it, but since then, I just look at them and know who it is," Snook said. "But I also think personality-wise on the court, they are very different, which makes it easy." How so? "Alexa is a little more intense, and Ady is a bit more low-key," Snook said. "Ady will let things roll off her back a little easier, but Alexa is the dominant one. But both are just so much fun to coach." On the court, Ady, Alexa, and Reiber are each close to 1,000 career kills. For Reiber, standing side-by-side with the twins at the net has made the adjustment pretty easy. But Reiber also says the personality chart adds to that as well. "We've been together a long time, and they are basically like my sisters at this point," Reiber said. "Alexa is more of the demanding one of the two, and Ady is quieter. But I love them both because they are each really competitive in their own way." For Snook, watching the three players dominate at the net is a full-circle moment. After several years of coming close, the Monroeville program broke through and went to the state Final Four for the first time in 2015. That team was anchored by twins Breanna and Haley Kramer, with Paige Leitz between them as a dominant middle hitter. Ten years later, the Eagles are back at state for a sixth time and are again anchored by twin sisters with another equally dominant hitter between them. "They had just as many seniors in 2015, and Audra Leber was a great senior setter," Snook said. "We have that, too, with Addison (Lyons). That was a special group, obviously, that set the standard and broke through to make all this possible now. "There are definitely very similar vibes, but each class is unique in their own way. To tell you the truth, those three were really good, but only Breanna broke 1,000 kills. All three of these girls are pretty close to that, which is crazy to believe." Reiber is sitting at 999 career kills, while Alexa has 993 and Ady has 969. Closing act As freshmen, all three hitters saw meaningful time on the Nutter Center court at Wright State University. The Eagles defeated Newark Catholic in the state semifinals, with Reiber totaling seven kills, followed by Ady with five and Alexa with four. In the state title match loss to New Bremen, the trio combined for 12 kills. All three admitted there was little pressure then. And while the weight of program expectations is not a daily occurrence, the current Monroeville team dealt with plenty of pressure on Oct. 20 and Oct. 22, respectively. The Eagles — ranked No. 5 in the final state coaches poll — were in a deep district. Their "reward" for a sectional bye was a matchup with 20-3 Fremont St. Joseph Central Catholic in a district semifinal at Clyde High School. After three sets, Monroeville trailed 2-1, and suddenly, the season and careers of the six seniors were on the line. "When we went to state as a freshman, we were the incoming class, but then you're expected to get back every year," Reiber said. "It was a little stressful, especially with our hard district." The Eagles rallied to win the next two sets to beat SJCC, but then came a rematch with No. 8 Mohawk, which they had already lost to in five sets early in the season. This time, Monroeville won the first two sets against the Warriors in the district title match. The Eagles then dropped the next two before winning an intense winner-take-all fifth set, 15-12. "It's definitely a little nerve-racking, but if you believe in your team, it's not that bad," Ady said of the pressure. "You just play it out and see where it goes. "You go point by point, but don't worry about the bad things and focus on what you need to do to get it done." Alexa admits there were nervous moments. "But I just tried to tell everyone it will be OK, no matter the outcome," she said. "We just have to have good energy in those moments, and if we do, we will win. Just don't stress over every point and play your hardest." "As kids, all my friends did it, so my mom signed us up because she thought we'd be good at it," Ady said. "Definitely the friends aspect was the draw, and it still is. Looking up to older kids when I was younger was fun, and it's great to know we're in those same roles now."