Matt Levins|Des Moines Register
EDDYVILLE -- Kate and Molly Shafer were born to be volleyball players.
One look at their family's home just south of Eddyville on Iowa Highway 163 paints a vivid picture of just what the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont High School sophom*ore twins are all about. On the east side of the house in the front yard is a full-size volleyball court, complete with a regulation all-weather floor andnet.
When the Shafer twins aren't in school or at volleyball practice, they can often be found on the practice court in their front yard, honing their already sharp skills.
The Shafer twins are never far from a volleyball court, nor is volleyball ever very far from their minds. That's why they'retwo of the top players in the state andbeing recruited by NCAA Division I schools.
For the twins, Volleyball is a big part of their lives.
"So far so good. We've been winning all of our matches so far. At West Branch we beat them in three," said Molly, a six-foot outside hitter who is averaging six kills per set."Playing big schools prepares us for some good teams we'll play down the road."
"I like it when I set the ball and my hitters get a big kill. That's a good feeling," said Kate, a six-foot setter who is averaging 8.7 assists per set."I feel like we have a really good team dynamic. We have a couple seniors this year that are good leaders."
In fact, the Shafer twins spend so much time focusing on volleyball and doing everythingpossible to be the best payers they canthat Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont head coachGladys Genskow has had torein them in to keep them from overworking.
"They push each other and I think that's how they've gotten so much better, especially in the aspect of volleyball," said Genskow, who'sin her 23rrd season as head volleyball coach of the Rockets. "They push each other so hard every single day. There's never a day off. In fact, there was a time last year I had to talk to them and tell them it's okay to take some time off and let your body rest and heal and recover. But they go all the time. When they don't do that they feel it's abnormal, it's not right."
Coming from an athletic background
The Shafer twins' parents, Ron and Shellee (Glass) Shafer have provided their daughters with everything they need to be successful. Shellee was an athlete in high school and coached softball for 17 years. Ron is tall, which is where the Shafer girls get their height.
Molly and Kate's older sisters were standout athletes in their own right.
Paige Shafer holds the school's career assists record with 3,315 from 2011-14, and helped the Rockets to state tournament appearances her junior and senioryears. She went on to play volleyball for Wartburg College.
Brooke Shafer was an outside hitter for the Rockets. She currently is a sophom*ore on the Wartburg College women's track and field team.
When they were younger, Molly and Kate would play volleyball on the sidelines while watching their sisters play for Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont.
Genskow knew years ago that she was going to have a pair of special players when the Shafer twins got to high school.
"When they were at the tournaments peppering on the sidelines they were just little, little tykes, but you knew eventually they were going to be good," Genskow said. "Then as they grew you could see they were going to be really tall and their basic skills were so good because they did it all the time. When they were in seventh grade they could have started for me at the varsity level."
An all-state start for Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont duo
Molly and Kate made an immediate impact for the Rockets as freshmen. Molly was a Class 3A first-team all-state hitter, while Molly was a third-team pick as a setter.
Molly averaged 5.9 kills per set, while Kate averaged 9.1 assists.They helped the Rockets win the South Central Conference championship with a 6-0 mark toadvanceto a Class 3A regional final to face Mount Vernon on the Mustangs' home court.
But the Rockets fell short in their quest to advance to state for the first time since 2015. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but one which has fueled the Rockets to get better ever since.
"I liked the Mount Vernon game. It was really hard and close and we almost made it to state. We were right there. We know we can make it to state this year.It was exhausting. That was a lot of attempts. I was definitely tired after that game, but it's rewarding," Molly said."Our motto this year is 'unfinished business.' We really want to get to state because we were so close to state. We tasted it and now we want it."
"Tradition is a huge part of that. I want to keep that tradition alive when I put on that jersey. It's great to represent the Rockets," Kate said."That would be super exciting since we haven't gone (to state)since 2015. I feel like this is our year to do that."
The Shafer twins play for Club IgnitSelect out of Des Moines in the offseason. Three times a week in the winter and early spring they make the 90-minute drive to Des Moines for volleyball practice, with tournaments around the country on weekends.
It's a big commitment, but the Shafers are committed to being the best.
We play really good competition against really good players," Molly said. "We get some height. They have a really tall blocker and a really scrappy libero who teaches you how to cover holes."
"It's definitely a commitment and a lot of work, but it's worth it to get in more reps and play with and against the best of the best," Kate said. "We go to big tournaments all over the country. It's a whole new level of volleyball that we don't really see in high school."
An uncommon connection for Rockets
The Shafers are nearly inseparable and share many of the same interests. And they have a chemistry between them that's unmatched on the court.
"It's awesome. I love having her with me. It's nice knowing I always have someone to go to, always someone to lean on," Kate said.
"She's always been the setter. We have a great connection, so that's very important. A lot of teams have to work on their connection and we have it instantly," Molly said."You always have a pepper partner and you always have someone to rely on on the court."
"They're playing club ball in the winter, which is different than what you play in high school," Genskow said. "When you get off in college it steps up to an even higher level beyond that. It forces you to get better. They are the type of kids that will do whatever it takes to get better and better to benefit themselves and the rest of the team. They are good enough to do that."
The Shafers know their roles on the team. And with talented teammates around them, it takes some of the pressure off them.
"It's amazing. We've had so many great athletes come through. It's exciting to see that we can build that up, too, and be a part of this amazing program," Molly said."We have Whitney (Klyn). She does really well on the outside, especially when we go out of (our) system. She sets a nice ball for me. She does very well on serve receive. We have Cooper (Champoux).She is a big block on the right side and Aliya (Wagamon), she has a heavy arm in the middle and blocks well."
The Shafers play other sports for Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont. It not only makes them well-rounded athletes and teaches them other skills, but also teaches them humility and teamwork.
"It's a smaller school so we play everything and that helps build the team because a lot of girls play a lot of different sports," Molly said.
"It teaches me to accept a different role," Kate said. "In volleyball, I have to be a leader. In basketball, I am not the main person and in softball, I might just be a baserunner. It's nice not being the best at everything, just accepting my role and doing the best I can."
"You have players that have a little bit of ego. 'Hey, look at me.' They're the opposite," Genskow said. "They love doing what they're doing, but they love it because it's all part of making this team better. Just like theirloyalty to how they put that uniform on and how they represent their school. You don't hear that from a lot of people."
Unfinished business for Shafer twins
Every time the Rockets step foot on the court, all eyes go to the Shafer twins. Anyone who knows high school volleyball in the state knows about them. When they ply their trade on the court, they give the fans their money's worth.
But their eyes are on the big prize -- getting back to the state tournament for the first time in seven years.
"I want to make it to state and break the assist record that my sister has. That's always my goal," Kate said.
"We want to make it to state and maybe win a game at state. That would be amazing," Molly said."There's pressure, but it's fun to knowthat they are afraid of you. They're thinking, 'Oh yeah, she's a big hitter.'"
"They're amazing athletes. It's not just in volleyball, it's all around. They are amazing kids. From just their personalities and they work so hard. They are so competitive 24-7," Genskow said."Right now, we've got total targets on our backs because of our ranking and because we have these two powerful players. It's satisfying to know they are on my team. The rest of our team is really good. So putting the combination off all of these kids, it's nice to see the dedication they have put into the sport and they love playing the sport."
Matt Levins is a sports reporter for the USA Today Network in Burlington, Iowa, who has covered local sports for 32 years at The Hawk Eye. Reach him at mlevins@thehawkeye.com.
