Setting Standards: Junior and Freshman Sisters Share Their Love of Volleyball Together on the Varsity Team

Whether it was a third grade volleyball game at Okun Fieldhouse or a summer camp at Bishop Miege, Freshman Rachel Bingham was always at her older sister Sarah’s games, watching closely and keeping herself entertained by playing with Sarah’s coaches’ little kids. When the once-a-weekend games turned to weekend-long club tournaments, Rachel was still there watching — wanting more and more to slide on kneepads and get on the court herself.

When Sarah was 10 and began club volleyball, Rachel decided to try the sport for herself. Her mom put together a team, “Bumpin’ Bacon”, when she was eight and by the time she was 10, she was playing club volleyball for the same club Sarah played for — KC Power. Rachel’s days of sitting on the cold bleachers watching Sarah spike the ball over the net were over — she was now competing at matches and tournaments of her own. She and her sister’s weekends soon filled with tournaments in Denver or Minneapolis, and their weeknights with carpools to the Olathe Sports Complex.

As Sarah entered her freshman year at East, she began playing middle as the only freshman on the varsity Volleyball team. This year, Rachel is doing just the same, making her one of just two underclassmen on the team — and also the only freshman. That meant that she and Sarah would be sharing the court for the first time. The only place Rachel will be watching Sarah play this season is from the row behind her. 

“It’s cool because this doesn’t happen very often,” Sarah said. “Normally there aren’t two sisters that play on the same team, at the same time, at the same level.”

Now that Rachel is playing on varsity alongside Sarah, the sisters spend every afternoon practicing together. Playing on the team together gives the sisters a common goal and forces them to work together, as well as giving them time together. They talk about practice together and get food before games. They don’t talk much at practice, but their family dinners have become dominated by Lancer volleyball talk. So far this season, volleyball is bringing the sisters closer together. 

“My whole family is volleyball nerds, so at dinner, our conversation is about volleyball 75 percent of the time,” Sarah said. “It’s nice because [Rachel] has a much different perspective on the game or practice than I do, because she’s a lot more positive than I am.”

Going into tryouts, Rachel knew that most of the players on the team were hitters, so she took lessons on how to play the back row position because that was what the team needed. She was hoping to make varsity, but recognized there weren’t many spots open for new players since only two seniors were on the team last year. 

“I kind of wanted to try out thinking I would make JV or varsity, just based on my abilities and other people’s,” Rachel said. “I really just didn’t know [what team I’d make] until they called me in and told me.” 

The sisters’ parents are glad that both girls made the varsity team — and not just because they get a break from driving to two separate games and practices. 

“It has been the best thing ever for our family,” their mom Jen said. “We all get to go to the same place at the same time and cheer for or play for the same team.”

Although Sarah and Rachel are excited to both be playing at the varsity level together, they were sisters before teammates — and don’t always get along. 

“There’s times when I get mad at her and I do sometimes say things but I try to keep it pretty mild,” Sarah said. “She’s playing well so there’s not that many times [where] I’m that angry. We get along most of the time, but it’s just sometimes I need someone to blame stuff on and I know she will be able to take it.”

The sisters will have family flying from across the country to watch them play together this year. Plus their grandmas can be found at every game, sporting a button with a Bingham sister’s picture on it on each side. 

According to Jen, getting to share the court as two sisters playing on the same team, at the same level, at the same time, has brought Sarah and Rachel closer together in not only volleyball, but as sisters. 

“I think it’s bringing them closer together as a family and as siblings,” Jen said. “They have someone else that they can talk to, process with, relate to, and discuss the team with. It’s bringing them closer together and helping them bond as sisters.”